


All You Wanted

by floatingintears



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 02:05:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 50,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingintears/pseuds/floatingintears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative to the epilogue of the arrancar arc. She thought he was dead, and so did he. How does sorrow and loneliness form a forbidden and deep romance? Can they finally escape the clutches of pain? Will they be forced to stand alone? UlquiHime, with small hints of IchiRuki</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Salvation

Rusky-Boz|Deviantart

 

_It is a solemn and lonely world._

_It is a truth that everything is meaningless; empty._

_When mere trash tries to fight it, tragedy ensues. When they struggle with useless emotions, they nearly always lose. Why do they keep trying to fight the truth, knowing that, in the end, they die anyway?_

_"Happiness" is such a subjective term. When one sees that everything just is, and that there is no special meaning as to why the wind blows or perhaps why his or her life is miserable, that being will find solace in that there is nothing to lose. Is that not happiness? Freedom?_

_"The things reflected in my eyes have no meaning. The things that could not be reflected in my eyes do not exist."_

_Life is chaotic and cruel, and the ridiculous heart humans speak of will forever be their downfall, their fatal flaw that drives them to fight against infallible odds; knowing that they will lose, knowing that they will die, but continuing to do it anyway. Are they just reliant on hope? How utterly useless. Hoping and worrying will only bring one death and disappointment, but they don't care, they use those emotions anyway. Ignorant of the reality, they will never prosper._

_I arrived in Hueco Mundo with incredible power, and easily vanquished all that got in my way._ _Otherwise,_ _I did not bother with the weak mindless trash that drifted around, lost and thoughtless. I would not die by the likes of those who were so feeble and so fooled by desire. To live in that world, all that mattered was power and strength. All other notions, everything, was worthless…_

_…Worthless…_

* * *

The sun was just rising over Karakura Town, bringing to light the reality that seemed to so mercilessly and unrelentingly hit the knowing individuals of Japan. Everything was peaceful currently, save a somber underlying tone softening the moods of those haunted by their past; life is always difficult, after a war. The blessed group of young teenagers with strong reiatsu was finally back from fighting a battle that was thrown at them at so young an age; and were now settling back in to their once monotonous lives. They rose with everyone else and got ready to go to school.

* * *

_-Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-Be-_

_  
_

With a swift touch of a button, Orihime turned off her alarm and sat up in her bed. She looked out the window next to her to see and hear the morning birds jumping around, signaling the start of her day. Sighing, she smiled lightly as she thought that at least it was Friday.

Tired and slow, she stretched with a big yawn and walked from her bed to go to the bathroom. Following her usual schedule of brushing her teeth, she suddenly looked up into the mirror and stared.

She stared at her large grey eyes, small bags lying underneath from the lack of sleep she had been getting lately. She looked at her fiery red hair that fell past her shoulders and down to her waist. She glanced at the slight frown that currently played on her lips. Orihime sighed.

It was getting a bit difficult to keep the façade she so effortlessly put up from day to day, and despite her usually cheerful face, she was beginning to become worn down by an inexplicable sadness. Her thoughts as of late had been contradictory to the peaceful setting of the area that returned after Aizen's defeat. She noticed that most of the day her mind drifted back to Hueco Mundo, as well as the rest of the war.

The healer felt sorrow for the casualties, both good and bad. She felt sadness and loneliness for what she thought was an unrequited love, and on top of that felt another layer of sorrow for a being that she believed she should have saved during her captured time but at the same time knew that he had tried to kill her friends, and felt bad for those feelings as well…

It was too confusing.

Absentmindedly brushing her teeth, Orihime thought about Ichigo. She had loved him, she really did, but deep down she knew that they would never work out. Their personalities differed way too much to last. She admired him, but what he needed she could not give. She was sorrowful for that too. She thought about Rukia; how strong she was, how tough, exactly what Ichigo always needed in times of struggle. She gave him a challenge; Orihime gave him apologetic words and comfort. Rukia was the better choice, so it seemed.

She washed her toothbrush and wiped her mouth.

That was alright, she thought.  _As long as everyone is happy, I will be happy. At least…I will try..._

At this point she was in the kitchen making herself breakfast: just a bowl of plain cereal with red bean paste on it.  _Delicious._

As much as she would not admit it, her thoughts mainly centered on the one that changed her life, that challenged her views, that seemed so misled and…and sad…

_What am I thinking?_  She swallowed her cereal and took another spoonful.  _He kidnapped me, he died trying to kill Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-san. He may have killed me for Aizen, so why am I…?_

The redhead shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. It worked temporarily, and when she finished her meal, she put the empty bowl and spoon in the sink. Next step was to get out of her pajamas and into her uniform. Thinking about it, she probably should switch the order of that one. Save it for next week, she supposed.

She went back to her room and stripped, replacing the comfy shorts and shirt with the tediously colored grayish skirt and top.

_That's right. He died. I could have saved him. He disappeared right in front of my eyes and I did nothing but reach out to him…the one moment he started to understand, right when he needed me…I will forever regret doing nothing. Especially when the last thing I remember where those bold green eyes, looking into my soul to his very end…_

Wiping a few tears that started to fall down her soft pale cheeks, she wondered why she nearly always wept for him these days. Pinning her hair clips to her collar and letting her hair flow, Orihime slipped on her shoes, picked up her backpack, and walked out the door for school, entering the spring filled town to last yet another day.

Returning to her carefree mask and giddy expression, she joined Tatsuki with a friendly "Hello!" as they began their usual walk to the educational building. Orihime just barely noticed a pair of forest green eyes accompanied with long black hair as the figure nonchalantly walked down on the other side of the street.

Just barely.

* * *

He was surrounded by nothingness.

Naked and cold, he was laying within his own aspect of death: Emptiness. He felt, smelt, tasted, heard, and saw nothing at all. Was he even alive? He could not tell. He did not even know how long he had been in this gap of space and time. He, everything, was nothing.

After the original feeling of suffocation, Ulquiorra felt true peace in this purgatory. He vaguely wondered if he would be in here forever, left to his thoughts. He could do that.

So there he was, in this unknown emptiness, just lying there for who knows how long, resting.

Memories of the past slowly began to creep up on him, until he remembered in full the time of his demise. He felt the irony of the human hybrid kid who had managed to defeat him, despite everything that made him weak as a human, as a person. He remembered the look of self loathing on his face once he turned back from his full hollow form and saw what he had unknowingly done to his enemy before allowing himself to ask to be put in that same state. The fool.

However, most importantly, Ulquiorra suddenly remembered the large grey eyes along with deep red hair and a chime like voice that could only belong to one person…

His eyes widened at the memory of the woman who tried to change his views, who tried to get him to understand the useless human emotions; the woman who had foolishly placed all of her hope into her friends, who had actually pushed him to slightly understand what the "heart" she talked about was.

Orihime Inoue.

This blankness was no longer satisfactory, all of a sudden. He was next given an irrational yet intense desire to see her once more, for no reason that he himself could determine. The vision of her played back in his memory, the last memory before he drifted away into this nothingness.

" _Are you afraid, Onna?"_

" _No, I am not afraid…"_

_The light feel of her fingers against his was fleeting, and as he stared into the depths of her grey orbs, he vanished, her being the last thing he saw._

Suddenly, Ulquiorra snapped his head to the left, instinctively knowing something was there from old honed instincts.

All he saw against the black nothing was a pair of brilliant angel wings stretched out from behind a tall figure that he could not quite decipher.

Being still despite his curiosity, his eyes bore into the figure, wondering what it was. The next thing he saw before it vanished as quickly as it had come was a pair of pink and soft lips on a pale face that played into a knowing smile. Just like that, the figure disappeared, but behind where she was formed a small light that slowly grew in size. Slowly, Ulquiorra got up and walked over to the light that started to turn into an entrance to another place.

The light was almost blinding, and he automatically squinted before looking out past what reminded him of a garganta. His eyes fell upon a familiar place, all too familiar, in fact. It seemed as though it was raining there, the loud droplets falling onto the ground made so much noise that he was not used to. He had a feeling what stepping through this void would do to him, but to test this theory he lifted a finger and placed it outside the entrance.

It was cold, and each rain droplet that fell onto that one finger felt freezing compared to the neutrality of where he was now. But there was something else. Something that he noticed more than the new sense of feel.

His finger turned from white to a paler tan, his nail from black to pinkish with a white tip, his sense of touch much more sensitive then it was. It was a human finger.

He pulled it back and down at his waist, where it turned back to normal. So he would have to turn back to a weak human should he go through. Right now, he was in this peaceful emptiness. Was he willing to follow someone he never saw before and go into the human world again? To suffer?

Ulquiorra then heard another noise behind him, and once he turned around, he saw that it was another entrance to another familiar world. A dark, monotonous, depressing one.

Oh, so now he realized. It was one world or the other. Looking into the barren and forlorn world, he knew that that was one of the last things he wanted to experience again. He asked himself though if turning into a weak human was worth it, in a world where there is so much suffering and ignorance.

But then, one name came to the forefront of his mind. The Onna.

Without a second thought, he put his hands into his pockets and sighed, turning around to face Karakura Town.

He stepped into the void.


	2. Settling In

The cold night rain against the still pale skin felt more freezing than it would have in his old form. He looked down at his hands for a moment, the only bare part of him showing through his clothes. The lightly tan skin did not serve as a shock to him like the automatic weakness he felt as a human did.

Ulquiorra looked around at his surroundings in the dark alleyway he arrived in. Some people who were actually out in this time and weather were walking quickly by the small gap between the buildings, not noticing the extremely pale person come from seemingly nowhere.

His senses decreased significantly; he felt as though he could barely hear or see anything, and it frustrated him immediately. Despite this, his empty mind began to drift to more important matters, such as where he would go, what he would do, exactly where was he?

Just as he was about to take a step toward the end of the alleyway, he felt a sudden pull at his arm, stopping his movements.

Ulquiorra's head snapped back to see who was intruding upon his personal space and seemingly threatening him, quickly going through a list of what he could actually do with the minimal human strength he currently possessed. It was a small list.

His eyes met green ones with familiar blonde eye lashes. Eyes widening, he was about to open his mouth when the woman held a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Knowing that this time he should probably obey, he snapped his mouth shut and followed her silently as she dragged him by arm through a labyrinth of alleys and deserted streets. Her human dress was clinging to her darker body from the rain and her long blonde hair was whipping behind her, and although he tried to keep the straightest face he could while straining his human body, his curiosity was very much overwhelming.

Finally, they seemed to reach the destination of her choice, for they had stopped in front of a smaller building near a doorway to where he had no idea. She looked back at him and gave a small smile, despite her own curiosity as well, before turning back around once the door had opened slightly in front of her, allowing them access to whatever this place was.

She brought him through the door.

After finally deeming that he had caught his breath enough to speak, Ulquiorra immediately inquired in his deep indifferent voice.

"Tia Harribel, what are you doing? This is-"

"Ahh, why hello, Ulquiorra-san! Long time no see!"

A strangely happy voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned his head to the side, hands in the pockets of his Espada uniform that he was still in, and made eye contact with the blonde man he had barely seen before, but was still familiarized with.

"Kisuke Urahara."

Urahara smiled, his hat barely covering his eyes.

"I am so flattered that you remember me!"

Ulquiorra glared. He needed to know what was going on, and he needed to know now.

"Kisuke Urahara, exiled shinigami scientist who…created… the Hogyoku…"

Urahara sighed and smiled once more.

"Always well versed, I see! I am surprised you were told that much-"

"Let's go over greetings later," Harribel cut in quickly before Ulquiorra could respond. A discussion over Aizen was one of the last things she wanted to happen. She turned back to Ulquiorra.

"It seems that you are another survivor from the war. After Aizen had slashed me down, I remember being in a void, and having the choice to either go back to Hueco Mundo or come to earth and become a human. I assume this happened to you as well?"

Ulquiorra stiffly nodded his head, surprised that he was not the only one, although he did not show it. He waited for more explanation.

"Well then, you are now probably wondering why we are here, in a former enemy's threshold." She didn't wait for an answer. "It is an odd tale, actually. All of this still feels strange. But when I came to the real world, I did not know where to go, what to do; all I knew was that I wanted a second chance at living,  _actually living_ , again. I was wandering around when I saw Urahara standing in front of me. He led me here about a week ago and I have been living in the underground training area ever since."

Ulquiorra let the information sink in for a short moment. He looked at her closely, there was no doubt: she was the real former tres espada, in human form anyway. He then decided to ask a more obvious question.

"And why would such a  _former enemy_  be interested in helping a foe with a … second chance?"

Urahara sighed once more, finally deciding it was his turn for answers. He lifted his head, revealing his shadowy eyes under the green striped hat, and took on a much more serious tone than before.

"For that mentality in itself…a second chance. When I saw the lovely lady next to us drifting through the streets, I was extremely hesitant myself. However, I did notice her great lack of reiastu and realized that she was definitely a human, so I brought her here for a couple tests. After that, I was very much confused. I was asking myself questions such as 'How did this happen' and 'Why would she choose to be human?' Then I realized that I was bearing a great guilt on my shoulders for creating the object that made you into those forms and nearly forced you into Aizen's army. So I decided to do everything I could to help whoever came back to live as humans. That's all I have for answers."

Ulquiorra kept his mask of total indifference on as he looked through the candy shop owner. He still did not seem too convinced.

"How do we know that you will not report us to Soul Society and collect a reward? You have an alliance with them, do you not?"

At this, Harribel looked over at Urahara as well, curious for the answer. At first she was only worried about the harm he could do to her, being a weak human. She never thought of the implications of staying with an ex shinigami with abilities to transport to Soul Society.

It was almost as if there was a silent game going on. Urahara and Ulquiorra kept serious faces, staring at each other for almost a minute, not one of them wavering, as though a silent conversation was making the air too tense to breathe in. All that could be heard was the rain pelting off the ceiling outside and onto the streets, soft thunder defining the mood of the room currently. Finally, after a minute of unknown stances and silent tension, Urahara gave a chuckle that broke the silence and once again set an easier tone.

"Yes, I did help them in the war, but I am not directly associated with them. If it makes you feel better, I was banned a long time ago to the human world. There is no need for me to tell them, and no reward for me to gain, even if I told them. The both of you deserve another shot at life, and although you shed some reiastu similar to what you once did, I do not think they will bother checking here, because the reiastu is so out of whack already with its residents. You are safe for now, and I will help to teach you the expectations of our society so you can blend in, unnoticed. Though you two are already civilized for the most part, it cannot hurt, and in the meantime I will figure out a plan in case the Sereitei does in fact find out about your existence."

It did seem believable. Although the two former espada were at his mercy, being defenseless humans, Ulquiorra still did not trust him too easily. Trust was something that had to be gained by actions, so for the time being he decided to be on the lookout for this sneaky man. Any wrong move and it was over.

"Whether his intentions are true or not, it does not matter." Harribel deemed, "We need his help now, and if we wander around aimlessly, we will get caught. I say we take this opportunity and make the best of it."

Ulquiorra looked her way, silent. She was right, there was nothing they could do now, and they might as well take advantage of what he can do for them.

He will just have to go with the flow, as always.

* * *

Time passed by slowly, and by a month's time, the two former espada were out on their own. Well, they were still in Karakura Town, and Urahara had given them a pretty decent loft to live in; however in retrospect they were free to live their new lives in the human world.

Urahara had taught them the etiquette and expectations of society fairly quickly, considering the maturity of the humanized arrancar. It was decided that Harribel represented a human the age of 26, and while Ulquiorra was just as tall and mentally grown, he represented the age of only an 18 year old.

Next was to figure out jobs for them. Harribel immediately went into intense training for the new job she was given for the time being; and now- with background information created for the both of them- Harribel received her official license as a bartender in the local bar.

Ulquiorra, on the other hand, was a bit tougher to fit into an ordinary job. They had to assume that he would have just finished high school, and they could not send him off to college without any grades or recommendations, so in a frazzled attempt to get him in the working world for a start to build from there, Tessai got him a job to stock shelves at a bookstore with his connections to the owner.

"Well, you two are pretty much done with my assistance," began Urahara at the end of the first month since they arrived. "We are going to have to assume that you two are siblings living together in town, and you should make enough to sustain yourselves. You can work up from where you are to achieve more, if you wish."

They were all gathered around in the main room of the store. It was finally time for Harribel and Ulquiorra to set off to their new home and face the world, with the help of the friendly candy shop owner, if need be. Harribel suddenly turned to Urahara with a hard stare.

"There is an issue we have not discussed yet, and it is in our best interest to do so."

The men in the room glanced at her, curious.

"What will happen should Kurosaki Ichigo and the rest of those who fought in the war were to see us? We are defenseless in this form."

Urahara smiled.

"Good question, I actually called for us all to meet at the park tomorrow afternoon. I have been contemplating whether having you there with me is a good idea or not, but I think it would be best for them to actually see you for themselves."

Harribel nodded and turned away toward the door; Ulquiorra stood still for a moment, as though in thought, and began walking to the store's exit, hands in pockets.

"Good luck," Urahara said, covering the majority of his face with his fan. "Until we meet again."

With that, they were out.

Urahara turned back around to Tessai, who seemed skeptical.

"Do you really believe you will be able to do this?"

Urahara sighed, "You have no faith in me, and besides, it's just an experiment."

* * *

Ulquiorra was used to watching other beings around him. Throughout his life, he observed all of his surroundings; watching weaker beings grow and fade, watching ruthless actions of those thirsty for blood, everything. Everything around him moved quickly, while he himself passed through time slowly, stronger with each passing moment, waiting…watching. Until Aizen came up to him, he rarely did anything other than quickly kill foes who threatened his life. It is said that old habits die hard.

He left the apartment one morning, bored, after settling in with his "sister", and decided to go out around the town and watch humans in their normal habitat. Walking through the streets in jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, Ulquiorra observed the mass population busy with routine and work as they moved quickly to their destinations. Silently, he moved at his own pace, indifferent and relaxed to all around him, keeping himself busy.

Walking down a more popular street, he blended into the crowd. Looking down, he was about to turn away from the mass and turn into a new street when a flash of red suddenly caught his eye. He automatically looked up and glanced in the direction of the color, and caught eye with familiar grey ones.

 _Very_  familiar.

Time slowed at an instant; he found it purely impossible to look away.  _Finally_ , after being compelled to change into a human after remembering her name,  _there she was_ , just walking down the opposite side of the street.

Orihime Inoue.

_Onna._

In that split second, he saw her eyes widen as well.  _Can she tell who I am?_ A rush of anxiety sparked an odd feeling in Ulquiorra. He felt his body warm up, and he could not stop it.  _Damned human body, there is no control._  He did not know what he should do. Go over to her? Was it not the time? Would she be afraid of him?  _No, she is never afraid of me._

That left anger and hatred.

He noticed her stop moving, the girl next to her seemed worried.

He needed to hide.

The next thing he knew, Ulquiorra was walking again on another street to the right, walking directly away from her. The tingling stayed, despite his will to force it down. It seemed as though the Onna still had undesired effects on him, effects that he could not decipher. Were these the human emotions she talked about so much? It seems that was one thing he would have rather stayed without.


	3. Sighs of Anxiety

"Orihime, are you alright? What's wrong?" Tatsuki paused mid step after noticing her redheaded friend was no longer by her side. She was looking over across the street at something…someone…

_Could that have been…?_

_No,_  Orihime quickly thought.  _That is impossible. I only saved one…_

But still…he seemed so…familiar. That shoulder length black hair…those emerald green eyes…They could only belong to one person. Sure, the tear marks were gone along with the hole and the helmet, and his skin wasn't bleach white as it was before, but… Whoever the man was, he seemed to notice as well, because he was staring at her like she was him.  _Coincidence?_

"Orihime! Wake up, what's the matter!"

Orihime heard the voice, and before snapping back into a harsh reality, tore her eyes away from the sight and looked up at her dear friend, a mixture of sadness and sorrow still filling her eyes. Tatsuki clearly noticed to sudden change in her demeanor, and her voice had softened, worried about the poor girl.

"Orihime…"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she switched to her normal happy mask and was on her way again.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I could have sworn I saw someone familiar, that's all! My eyes were just playing tricks on me!"

She smiled, and Tatsuki seemed to not be fooled by her sudden cheerful tone. Orihime sighed, and smiled once more.

"I promise, Tatsuki-chan, I am alright. No need to worry for me!"

Finally, in a sigh of defeat, Tatsuki was by her side and they were off to school again. She did not miss, however, Orihime's glance back to the other side of the street, her hand at her side clutched into a fist. But to no avail for Orihime;

He was gone.

* * *

"WOOOOOH! ONE MORE MONTH UNTIL WE'RE SENIORS! WE ARE THE TO-BE OVERLORDS OF JAPAN-" Keigo was quickly silenced as Ichigo nonchalantly punched him the face walking into the classroom.

"Shut up! It's too early for shouting."

He had a point, though, so Ichigo thought. After a month, it will be summer break, and then when they come back it will be their last year. After that…well, he didn't know. He could not just stay at his family's home forever, and he would not be able to go back and forth from Soul Society to the human world all the time either afterwards. So what would he do? Go to college…for what, though? What could he do in the real world that would not really impede upon his abilities to change to a shinigami? And what about everyone else?

He still had time to think about it, he supposed.

Everyone else was feeling the same jitters as well, the classroom was full of small clicks, yearbook signing, reminiscing, even though they still had another year left. When Orihime and Tatsuki walked in the class, they also felt the somewhat sad aura.

"This is stupid. Why is everything getting so depressing?" Tatsuki sighed and went to her seat next to Orihime, who sat behind Ichigo.

"Do these people not even realize we still have next year? It's not the end of the world," Uryu joined in their group as he took his seat next to Chad, who, although listening, remained silent.

Orihime smiled lightly, "Oh, well, I can understand. Perhaps they don't want to reach the last stage just yet; maybe they want to stay in their own adventure just a little longer."

Uryu chuckled and looked over to her, "Just as understanding as always, Inoue-san." To which Orihime smiled and shrugged.

"It's a bit ironic for us, if you look at it," Ichigo unexpectedly joined the conversation; everyone looked over to him for his opinion. "Inoue's right, I mean. I feel sometimes that this peace is a little eerie, after everything."

The group let that sink in for a moment. It was very true that this applied for all of them; the ineffable feeling around them was hard to bear. As much as they were glad the war was over, and peace took its place, they found that they wished they could return to the action and unknowingness that came with their unusual endeavors. Before, they had something to live for, to fight for, but now? Their purpose was over, they felt, and there was no need to keep fighting. The school surroundings seemed way too immature compared to what they went through.

"Speaking of which, guys," Chad finally let his voice be heard. "On my way here this morning, Urahara asked me to let you all know that he wants to meet with us tomorrow afternoon in the park. There was something important to discuss."

"I wonder what it is…" Uryu trailed off, pondering what the candy store owner could want with them again.

Orihime felt like she knew, what with the event this morning, perhaps…

She shook her head lightly, it was best not to think about it, or expect. It just left you disappointed.  _Yet…_ she already knew one was still alive. She had saved her herself. With all of the fresh guilt from _his_  death, when she heard about how Aizen betrayed the blonde, she quickly healed her when no one was looking. What happened to her after that, she did not know. Quickly, she stifled her thoughts, before anyone noticed her drifting.

Another voice shot through the silence.

"Alright, class! You can continue your conversations later, but now it's time to start," the bell rang as students' moans filled the air.

The teacher rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! It's a Friday, I know it's hard, but a little learning isn't going to kill you. Now, open up your English text books to page 273…"

* * *

"Back so soon, Ulquiorra…?"

Harribel sighed as her "younger brother" walked through the door at noon, it had taken a little getting used to, moving in together. It could have been worse though, she thought. She could have been forced to be roommates with a humanized Grimmjow.

Ulquiorra remained silent as he walked to his room. Harribel was busy getting everything in order in the empty living room, before her shift started in the bar a few blocks away. Their one level loft was actually very large, to human standards, and quite a nice place to live. Ulquiorra has barely said a word to her before going out, and she figured she had to make things right, if they were going to live together.

"Wait, Ulquiorra!"

He stopped in his tracks, halfway down the hallway to his room. She ran over to him, adamant about catching before he went into his abyss of a room. He turned his head slightly in her direction, if anything to show her that he was listening.

"I know this is not what either of us expected, but we need to make the best of this."

"…"

She sighed. "Look, we're here now, and I would prefer it if we were to, you know, at least talk more? Have a friendlier demeanor to make this seem more convincing? Perhaps if you left your shell more…"

It was Ulquiorra's turn to sigh, before turning around completely to face her.

"We have both struggled, Ulquiorra, but this is a new chance to redeem ourselves, to live a new life. And when we die from this form, we will have yet another chance of redemption and not have to return to Hueco Mundo again. So promise me you will not ignore the world around you like you used to?"

He blinked, and nodded his head slowly. Harribel was a bit relieved, actually. At least he was trying, though it would take a while to get him to leave his inner realm. She turned around and went back to the living room to move the couch to where she wanted it. Turning her head slightly, she spoke over her shoulder.

"I have to leave early for my first shift today, and I won't be back until late. They have to show me the ropes to working there. I'll probably be gone around 3 and not back until midnight tonight, alright-"

"Harribel."

Surprised, she turned around, "Yes?"

"Why did you make the choice to come to the human world?"

Her green eyes widened, not expecting the question.

"I…I chose to live here…to…find myself. As well as to try this world again."

Ulquiorra paused, nodded, and went into his room, shutting the door. Harribel blinked, before finally moving the sofa to a place she was content with.

* * *

Ulquiorra laid on his bed, thinking. The black comforter and pillow made a nice contrast to the dark green walls, and although Harribel thought it was still too depressing, she really had no say in the matter. At least there was  _some_  color. He had hard wood floors and a walk in closet along with a bookshelf. Simple taste. His thoughts drifted to the ex arrancar's response.

She chose the earth to find herself?  _How idiotic._ If she spent all of that time in Hueco Mundo, there was nothing else to do but fight and think. How did she not figure out her own meaningless views?

She was smarter than that though, he thought. She was more level headed than many other Espada, so perhaps she meant something else when she said that…

Perhaps…she just meant to find  _something_  of hers from her past human life? Or she meant to find the meaning of an unknown happening… That left another question, if that was the case then.

What  _was_  she here for?

Taking a deep breath, he leaned his head to the side, staring into the depths of his forest walls. He didn't start work for another few days, what else was he supposed to do? The humans were so easily predictable, they never changed. It became inexplicably boring to watch them, very quickly. He was also told not go to near the ryoka group until after Urahara explained to them that the two were harmless. Well...he broke that rule already...

Sighing, he got off of his bed and walked over to the bookshelf, taking the lone book that lied there; a starter book, he thought. Turning it around, he looked at the cover:  _Religions of Man._  Great. More frustrating beliefs he did not acknowledge. He went back to the bed, book in hand, and promptly leaned against the headboard to start reading.  _It was something to do._

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hey, everybody! Thank you for reading thus far, with luck it will be to your enjoyment! Cheers for those of you who saw the small inconsequential pun with the page 273 part (an important episode to this story), and I also want to say that I will be following as closely as I can the Unmasked Arrancar Book that came out recently, in it Ulquiorra's past and the espada's current stats. For those of you who do not know (SPOILER), Harribel was said to be still alive in it, so I felt like integrating her into the story as well. I have the master plan behind this, so watch out for the subtleties (that aren't so subtle) and such!  
>  Again, thanks for reading, and tell me what you think!_
> 
> _~ floatingintears_


	4. The Reveal

_Blood…it's everywhere…_

_Where am I? Who is that lying next to me?_

_I look around, but I can barely see a thing; it was then I felt something wrapped around my waist…_

_An arm…a white arm…with black claws…?_

_I gasp, I can hardly breathe, my eyes widen so much it hurts…it's…_

_Him._

_No…I turn to see what I already know is there…_

_And it is the darkest image in my weary soul;_

_Nothing but wide neon green eyes pierce through me._

_He isn't breathing, he is just lying there, staring at me…_

_Dead? But…_

_How can those eyes still have a nameless emotion? They are looking right into mine…_

_Fear overwhelms my body, and slowly, very slowly, the rest of the scene is becoming more visible._

_No one is here._

_Just him and I…in the endless sands of Hueco Mundo…his black wings have fallen to the ground, stretched far behind him._

_I am the only one moving, everything else is still around me… Including him._

_I cannot turn away from his intense gaze. Something crawls up my spine._

_Suddenly, yet still slowly, he blinks…his pale eyelids are shown, his long black eyelashes meet his upper cheeks, and then he opens them wide in less than a split second._

_I could not scream, my voice escaped me._

_Then, he looks downward, past me, to where his arm rested over my waist. I follow his gaze._

_In his hand, something red was there, something that was not there before…_

_Bloody and beating…it was a heart…_

_A heart…_

_I suddenly look down at myself, without reason._

_I am covered in blood…my own blood…there is a hole, ripped where my heart should be…_

_I look back at him to see that he is once again staring at me…_

… _Pain and fear envelope my soul…_

_I am consumed._

* * *

Gasping for breath, Orihime shot up out of her bed with a small scream.

Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and drops of sweat were all over her skin. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to regulate her breathing.

Putting a hand up to her forehead, she wiped the sweat, and then the tears, and then placed her head in both of her hands as she brought her knees up to rest her elbows on. She had nightmares of the war before, but never before were they  _that_  graphic.

Orihime really wished that there was someone who could wipe her tears, someone who could comfort her when she had a nightmare like this. Another tear slipped out at her somber desire.

Looking out the window, she saw the stars that were still scattered in the dark sky. The clock next to her just turned to 3:08, but she was still too frightened to go back to sleep so quickly after waking up. Still shaking slightly, she deemed that it was now way too hot for her flannel pants and long sleeve shirt. Still under the comforters, she slipped out of her pajamas and threw them to the floor, still in her underwear.

She lied back down, her bare back cooling slightly from the exposure to the air as she moved the heavy comforter down to her mid stomach. The red head moved her long hair to the side, and stretched her arms out so her hands were lingering off of both sides of the bed. This was better.

Her mind drifted to everything she thought made her weak. Her fears, her lack of violent powers that made her friends fearsome foes, her pain…her heartache…

Yes, her powers have developed even more since the war, and it seems that more than ever her powers trespass those to which a God would own. However…

It was only good for curing things that have already happened, for changing things back to what they were before whatever changed them. They were no good for preventing change itself. Yes, she had Tsubaki , and of course her newer abilities that allow her to shoot small bombs from her shields, but still…her hesitance to use violence only makes her appear even weaker.  _That's what does it._

Well, there was nothing to do but keep training and honing her abilities, and then only when she absolutely needed to, use them on threats. Otherwise, she would simply keep protecting the weaker beings, along with her friends; that was her virtue.

Her thoughts moved to Ichigo for a small time, she wondered if he had nightmares about the war, considering how he sacrificed the most for it.

After a while of distant thoughts and speculations, Orihime finally started to drift off into a deep slumber.

* * *

It was one in the afternoon when Ichigo & co. decided to meet in the park for their "rendezvous" with Urahara. Originally starting off as a nice day, it seemed that rain clouds started to close in on Karakura Town. Uryu looked up at the sky, nearly laughing at the irony.  _Could this be foreshadowing perhaps?_

He looked over at Orihime, who was resting against the large willow tree they were under, talking to Rukia, who had returned for the next few months to make sure things were fine in the town, over something. He knew she was infatuated with Ichigo, and it hurt him. As much as one would think it wouldn't, it hurt him even more to know that he didn't return the feeling, and then a layer of pity on Orihime, because Uryu could tell she knew as well. Not that she ever told Ichigo, and not that he probably ever knew, his thick skull and all, but still…it was painful.

Just like he could tell that she probably did not return his feelings either. He had a small crush on her for a very long time, and he really wished he could be the one to comfort her and hold her. Despite this, however, he would accept this fact and still be the closest friend he can to her, and always be there when she needed him. It was the only way he could keep going with her so near him.

Out of nowhere everyone heard the familiar voice of the carefree candy salesman.

"Ah, hello everyone! I am so glad you are able to join me on such a pleasant afternoon."

Did the group just hear thunder? Very pleasant afternoon indeed.

Urahara smiled. "Please, please, let's configure ourselves here."

He sat right on the grass with no hesitation, Yoruichi, who was following him in her cat form, plopped right on his lap. Everyone did the same, and pretty much sat in a rectangle around him, as though he were at the head of a table in a dining room. Ichigo was sitting across from Urahara, Orihime and Rukia on one side, Chad and Uryu on the other.

"Alright, now, I know you all are probably wondering why you are gathered here…"

Ichigo cut in, "Yes, and please tell us before next year with the way you have been putting things off."

Urahara laughed, "My, my, Kurosaki-san! I see you want to get right to the point as always!"

The teen glared as the blonde man continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone now.

"There is actually a very important reason as to why I have you guys specifically gathered. I am actually a bit relieved that barely anyone else is here due to the weather. Before I start, I want to make this very clear: You will listen and not interrupt me throughout this discussion. If you have a question, you may ask  _after_  I am done. You all will stay here and listen to the full explanation, and if  _any_  of what is said here gets to the ears of anyone in contact with either Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Do you understand?"

During his warning, Urahara looked over everyone with hard eyes, almost threatening, specifically at Ichigo and Rukia at the mention of Soul Society. They would be the ones who may be the biggest liabilities. The group became eerily quiet, surprised that the man would  _threaten_ them like this. Whatever he had to say, it was crucial that it needed to be kept quiet.

Ichigo answered with a lowered voice.

"Are you threatening us? What is this about that is so serious that we are risking our lives just by knowing?"

Urahara looked directly at Ichigo.

"Yes, I am threatening you, because this situation requires your complete understanding and cooperation to turn out well. Now, to start this off, how many of you believe in second chances?"

The group gaped at the man.  _What was this man doing?_  Yoruichi mewed from the blonde's lap.

"Second chances," Uryu inquired. "Have you freed Aizen or something?"

At this, Urahara laughed lightly.

"No, no, nothing to that extreme. It's just that, something…unexpected has happened."

This got everyone's attention again.

"As creator of the Hogyoku, I admit that I feel quite a bit of guilt to what happened with certain individuals at the mercy of Aizen. Now, I am looking in to why this has happened, however, I do not have answers yet… It seems that two former espada have arrived in human form."

Eyes widening like crazy around the group, gasps could be heard immediately. Ichigo was gripping the grass and nearly pulling it out as he looked down.  _How could this happen? We need to take care of this now!_

"I said before that I would allow questions and such after I finished my part. I know you all are surprised, and I can tell that some of you are ready to find them and finish them. However, I suggest you relinquish those thoughts immediately."

Silence. Ichigo looked up at Urahara, who was eyeing him again. Rukia was looking over at Ichigo, nervous of his reaction as well as surprised at this news.

"I realize that they have done some terrible things during the war, we all have. At the time, they were under the influence of Aizen, and in reality never really had a choice with the things they were doing. Some arrancar I can see maintaining their…destructive ways, even if they were given the chance to become human, but with the two that were able to make the decision…this alone shows that they want a second chance. They no longer wish to keep their violent monotonous lives at Hueco Mundo. For this, I have decided to help them with the chance, and for a month they have stayed in the store, learning about human lives."

He paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in. Everyone seemed deep in thought. He started again.

"Now they live in Karakura Town in a loft on their own. The reason I am telling you this is because I know you will meet, being in the same town, and I do ask one more thing of you all. Although they are  _defenseless humans now_ ," he was sure to emphasize defenseless, "the reiastu they leak is somewhat similar to their former ones, and as such, hollow may be attracted to them as well. I am asking you to protect them."

"Protect them?" Ichigo could no longer remain silent, the frustration ebbing from his aura. "We worked so hard to fight against them, to keep not only the town but Soul Society itself safe from these hollows, and now you want us to protect them? Bull shit!"

"Ichigo," Rukia entered the conversation, "as much as I do not like this either, I can see Urahara-san's point. I admit, we all did bad things in the war, we all killed and hurt for our side, but now they are innocent humans who want to be rid of their sins. They just want peace, and we should protect them. Despite their past, we all believe in second chances."

"Precisely, Kuchiki-san!" Urahara's eyes lit up. "I am glad you understand! They are harmless right now, and if you had the choice to fix the bad things you have done in the past, wouldn't you want to be accepted?"

Ichigo was silent with that.

"Please, now do not forget my warning. Should one of you get Soul Society involved, I will be forced to take immediate action."

Urahara again took the most serious and threatening tone of his news to relay that message. Chad, who was silent the whole time, found it time to ask a single question.

"What if Soul Society detects them, or for some reason, another shinigami comes down and recognizes them?"

The scientist sighed.

"Well, I do not think they would take too much notice with the way reiastu is messed up here now anyway, however, I am currently thinking of a plan should they find out. I doubt they will be as understanding as all of you. I would not worry about that now, though."

"Ahh, Urahara-san?"

Orihime hesitantly let herself be known, she automatically knew one of the espada who came back, and she was not planning on letting them know how it happened, so it was best if she did not say. She was surprised of the outcome, though. She did not expect for her to be a human. She had to ask her one question though. Urahara smiled over to her and politely waited.

"Who were the two that came back?"

At this, everyone turned from Orihime to Urahara, waiting for an answer. They were all undoubtedly curious of who they were protecting, which of the ones they had once fought had come back for a "second chance".

Urahara sighed, "Well, I suppose it is time to show them. I brought them along as proof of their human existence, and I must thank them for being so patient… Harribel, Ulquiorra, you two can join us now…"

Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu gasped at one name in particular.  _Ulquiorra had chose to become human?_

Orihime, though, had the greatest reaction of the three. As soon as the two humanized espada came walking along in normal clothes, everyone had stood up, either from an instinct to get in a defensive stance, or just plain shock, they did not know.

Harribel and Ulquiorra stood behind Urahara, silent and waiting for a reaction. Harribel's blonde hair was left flowing free behind a light green dress that had complimented her eyes. The human clothes did help with the initial reaction, it gave them a more human and normal look. Ulquiorra was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black T shirt, plain. His black shoulder length hair blended into the top of his shirt, his hands were in his pockets, and he was observing everyone.

Neither of them had their hollow hole or mask, Ulquiorra was left without the tear marks and black lips as well. They both looked…human.

Orihime glanced over Harribel, but she could not take her eyes off of the being that cast her so much sorrow and pain. Her eyes were widened as her grey orbs stared into Ulquiorra's own green ones, her hands fists at her sides.

_How did he come back? Who could have healed him? Was it the same with Harribel?_

So many questions floated through her mind. She did not know what to do.

Ulquiorra, for a time, eyed Ichigo, who was almost glaring back. He wondered if the hybrid wanted to kill him again. He wondered how he himself felt about the kid. Then, another redhead caught his eye, a more intriguing person, the woman who interested him the most.

He stared right back at her, a repeat of yesterday morning, only this time, she knew who he was for sure. He could see the sadness in her eyes, and thought about whether it was sadness for him returning.

Someone needed to break the silence, someone needed to do something,  _anything_ , to ease the tension.

Orihime sighed, it looks like she would have to maintain her role of the pacifist.

"Well…" she started, "I am glad you decided to become human rather than rot in Hueco Mundo."

Everyone, openly surprised, stared over at her.


	5. Intriguing

_Was she really glad? What is she thinking! They kidnapped her! I mean, I can see how she wouldn't be too upset with Harribel…but…him? He caused her so much pain! She could barely speak for at least a week once we all returned! How do I even feel?_

Ichigo was at a loss of what to even think, let alone do. Immediately after seeing Ulquiorra, he had to keep himself from killing him with his glare, and he was positive everyone around him could feel the reiatsu flaring from the teen. Ulquiorra glanced at him for a moment, and those expressionless eyes drove him mad as they bore into him.

Suddenly he felt someone grab his hand, instantly looking down he noticed Rukia's own smaller hand gripping his. For comfort? She looked up at him and half smiled, as if to tell him,  _it's alright_. He gave the best sort of maybe half smile he possibly could, and squeezed her hand back. They both looked back at Urahara, who was fanning himself and watching everyone's reaction. Suddenly Harribel spoke up.

"Look, I know that this will be a slow process, and I am not asking anyone's pardon, and neither is Ulquiorra. However, if we can start a better relationship, at least an acquaintanceship, I would be content."

Ulquiorra still remained silent. Truthfully, he did not know what to say, and nobody really expected him to say anything either, at least, those who knew him the most. Ichigo felt that it was his turn to speak up, though begrudgingly. He made that known through his tone.

"Let's get this straight: we did what we had to in the war. If you guys are going to use that argument, then the same goes for us. You guys are no longer threatening either, so don't start anything, and we also won't. And if you guys are really here for a second chance…" He sighed, and hung his head low.

"Then we will be here for you."

Everyone looked up at him at this, surprised. Was he forgiving them? Orihime smiled.

Uryu sighed, pushing up his glasses. "He's right, though. The past will be hard to forget, but you're here now, and as humans, we now have a duty to at least protect you."

Urahara clapped his hands together, a grin spread on his face. "Well, well! I am pleasantly surprised that things went this well! I regret to inform that I must be going now, too many experiments that need to be kept an eye on! Until next time!"

With that, the scientist was waving as he walked away from the spot, Yoruichi walking behind him, still in her cat form.

Now a bit of an awkward tension hung in the air. Harribel suddenly looked at the golden watch she was wearing, and noticed that she only had half an hour until her night shift at the bar began.

"Thank you for your understanding," she began. "I am sure we will be seeing each other more now, but I will be taking my leave for a job, so…It was a pleasure."

Harribel was then walking away from the group when Ulquiorra turned to follow her.

It may have been out of instinct when Orihime reached out instantly and grabbed his wrist, or perhaps it was an animalistic desire to not let him go this time. She did not know. All she could tell at the time was how wide his forest green eyes became as he turned his head toward her.

Seconds felt like centuries; Orihime's own eyes widened in sync with Ulquiorra's, shocked at her own bold yet unconscious doing. Everyone behind her stood in intense silence, a bit overprotective of their auburn haired friend. But she didn't register them, and neither did he. The two of them were only focused on each other, and the link of her hand to his wrist.

Suddenly, in reality within a split second of actually grabbing his wrist, she let go. Her eyes were downcast, her cheeks rosy red from the embarrassment of her own actions as she muttered an apology. Ulquiorra studied her for a moment, and subconsciously thoughts ran through his mind of how beautiful she looked.  _Wait, no. What am I thinking?_

Although his human body denied him as much control as his hollow form, it was still tough to see the light pink blush spread on his upper cheeks. He was still thankful that Orihime was looking down though. It was then Ulquiorra said his first and last words to them for the day.

"You never cease to intrigue me, Onna."

She looked up, shocked at his words, and they shared eye contact for a brief moment before he was off, leaving the park. Nobody said a thing until a few minutes later.

"I don't like this." Ichigo was still shaking his head, feeling almost betrayed, feeling that the pain he went through was ultimately meaningless to defeat them. Well, him anyway.

Uryu countered. "I don't like this either, yet you heard Urahara-san. We must protect them and let them live a normal life."

"But do they really deserve a second chance with no… _punishment_ , for what they've done?" The hybrid's eyes were nearly pleading by now.

Orihime smiled softly, trying to calm things down.

"I don't think that they did this so easily. I also believe they went through centuries of hell, of torment, of never being able to really live or like their lives. No those two anyway. I know what they did was bad, but I think that in all the years as a hollow and perhaps even as a human, they suffered enough."

After a moment of silence, Rukia spoke in a quiet voice.

"I think Orihime's right. As a shinigami, I have obvious reasons against this, but in this case…I think that giving up their pride and becoming humans along with the years of suffering is enough punishment. No matter if they were against us in the war, they are still just creatures who had unfair lives."

Ichigo sighed.

"I guess you two are right. It's not like we can do anything anyway. Let's go."

Just at the end of Ichigo's sentence, rain started pouring from the grey sky, and more thunder could be heard. They all went their separate ways; Orihime, Uryu, and Chad went to their respective houses, while Rukia accompanied Ichigo to his house, where she was staying in his closet.

* * *

After walking through the door, punching his overly excited father in the face in defense of his play attack, and getting into his room, Ichigo collapsed face down on his bed with a sigh. Rukia closed the door behind him, rolled her eyes, and while leaving the closet door open, she jumped in on her "bed". She decided to leave him to his thoughts for the meantime.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was a mental mess. Not only was he dealing with stress about his future, but now he had to deal with former enemies becoming human? Hell, Ulquiorra  _killed_  him.  _But I killed him too, I guess. But it was after he kidnapped Orihime and threatened everyone! But he was under orders from Aizen…But he could have done something! But he did not really have a choice…He was just going with the flow…Like I was I too…I suppose everyone was fighting for their own need…and now he repented? This is too much…_

His thoughts drifted on the other matters of his life. He thought about possible jobs for him, but having an office job didn't seem to satisfy him. At all.  _Maybe I'll just become a cop or something. I could fight at night, and make sure no one knew. But what about everyone else? What…what about…Rukia…_

Rukia? Why was he thinking about her? Well, he thought, she did play one of the most important roles in his life. She was the one who originally gave him his powers. But was that it? He pondered what else she was to him. He knew that she was always there to cheer him up when he was down, in her own ways at least. He thought about what life would be like if she wasn't there…He could barely muse the thought. _When I have to leave, will she still find me?_

"What's wrong with you? Are you still thinking about today?"

Rukia knew him too well, but she couldn't tell everything he was thinking. They were both troubled by their positions.

"A little, it's just…tough to know that they will be around, that our roles have changed so suddenly. It feels like our fight was almost meaningless-"

With a jump, Rukia landed on his back from the closet, knocking the breath out of the redhead.

"Wh-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

Rukia then proceeded to sit on his back cross legged.

"Never think that your fight was meaningless. You did a major part in destroying Aizen, who would have killed everyone! Could you imagine life should he have won? You did Soul Society and even the town a huge favor by risking your life!"

His voice was muffled by the pillow.

"But how am I supposed to go about them nonchalantly here just living a normal life?"

"Exactly that. Just let them live their second chance. You don't have to be super nice to them and make their lives easy, and I don't think they're asking for that. Just make sure that outside forces cannot kill them, and give them their chance. Do you know how much it probably took them to literally allow Urahara to ask for your protection? Put yourself in their place."

Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You're always right."

Rukia smiled at this. "I know."

* * *

Orihime sat at her kitchen table with dinner a few hours after meeting Urahara. Absentmindedly eating her eggs and potatoes covered in butter with a side of chocolate milk (Scrumdiddlyumptious), she thought about today. Should she be happy that he came back, that he is okay, that he chose to repent? At the same time, he was the one who had kidnapped her, killed Ichigo, fought Uryu, and was loyal to Aizen. How  _should_  she feel?

Sure, she had really believed what she said at the park, about their years of torment and how she was glad they chose this life, but still…

What she did as he was leaving…shocked her the most. She didn't know what had come over her. His face, most specifically his eyes were forever etched in her mind, along with how they looked at his death as a hollow. And then his words…

" _You never cease to intrigue me, Onna."_

She could feel herself blushing even now, hours after he spoke. This was a problem.

Next thing she knew, she was in front of her mirror, brushing her hair in her pajamas to get ready for bed. She figured she would read a bit to calm her nerves, and her thoughts, so she did not have another troubled night. If anyone were to see her right now, they would say her face was full of surprise yet sadness, and confusion as well. Those were pretty much her main emotions for the moment.

Sighing she reached on the nightstand, turned on the small light, turned off the main one, and grabbed the fantasy novel she was currently reading. Sitting in bed, she opened to the right page and began to clear her mind. She noticed that she was at the end; she would probably finish it tonight.  _Better go to the bookstore for another tomorrow…_

After finishing the book, she turned off the light and drifted into slumber.

* * *

He was sitting in his room, lying on his bed, and thinking; his favorite thing to do, so it seemed. The day's events wouldn't let him sleep; rampant in his mind, his thoughts were relentless.

What really intrigued him were the…strange feelings he had prior to and at the park. When he saw the Onna, he felt something akin to guilt, or maybe fear? No…not fear…he did not fear anything. Still…he was worried that she hated him, that she would spit at him for what he had done, that she would never accept this.

Yet she always had a way to surprise him.

Not only was she the first one to break the tension, but she seemed glad of all things that he was back. Strange woman. He would never take back his only words he said, directed to her.

More than anything, Ulquiorra wondered what his thoughts and …feelings, were on the subject of him returning. He did not really consider coming here for a second chance; he just knew that it would be better than going back to Hueco Mundo. The thing he did not like about the human world was just that there was too much meaningless work. Educational work, jobs, none of this was at Hueco Mundo. In the other world, you just had to know how to survive. Here on the other hand…was just so much different.

His job began tomorrow afternoon. He was stuck in a bookstore submitting to someone's will for hours before freedom again.

In all the centuries of thought and fighting he endured, he could never remember his first human life, if he had one. Ulquiorra knew that others came to Hueco Mundo from doing bad things in the human world, but was he one of them? Or was he just born in that place from the nothingness he knew so well?

Thunder was softly rolling throughout the skies, still, this late at night. Harribel was still bartending, and would not be back until later, so there he lay, with nothing to do. Sure, he could be watching television or eating or doing anything else that large loft allowed him. But the only place he was actually comfortable in was his room, and it was too wet to go outside and observe or walk around.

Sighing, he closed his eyes, putting his endless thoughts aside for the time being. Slowly, he let the thunder lull him to sleep.


	6. Coincidence

_He was standing over Las Noches, watching the endless sands of Hueco Mundo._

_His wings were stretched out far behind him; he was in his Murcielago Segunda Etapa, his long black tail whipping around._

_It was a scene too normal for him, monotony he had seen for far too long._

_He felt a presence behind him on the rooftops, the moon bringing an everlasting gentle light throughout the land, and he took that into account while waiting for whoever was behind him to make themselves known._

_He already knew who it was though, he always knew._

_She began to speak, her soft voice forever calming and loving, no matter what he did._

_It was hard to speculate on her though; he felt nothing. He felt void. He only did and saw; completely at inner ease._

_Her footsteps were getting louder; she was coming nearer…not afraid…_

_Never afraid…_

_Step by step, he allowed her to do what she wished, not reacting until suddenly,_

_She suddenly touched his shoulder._

_Unexpected moves brought his head to turn over his shoulder, wide eyed to meet her own grey eyes._

_He couldn't make out what she was saying, but her eyes were pleading, begging him for something; something he did not understand._

_Finally, the familiar voice shot through the wings._

" _Ulquiorra, please…Ulquiorra…"_

_A pause; and a confused expression was etched upon his face. It was then when she reopened her mouth that he could tell what she was saying._

"… _My heart…"_

_Even more confusion._

_He looked down at her chest, the place where he denied there being an emotional heart long ago._

_Terror and shock changed his facial expression once more as he saw the blood pouring out of her chest, a hole ripped through it. How was she still alive?_

_He looked back up at her, to find her staring down at his arm._

_Looking down himself, it was then when he felt the beating organ in the palm of his black furred hand._

_Former words immediately rang through his mind._

' _I see. Now I see. Her heart was right…in my hands.'_

_He looked back at her one last time before she faded away, much like he had._

_He reached out his hand, but he couldn't get to her in time…_

… _If only he could touch her…one last time…_

* * *

Ulquiorra woke up in a sweat, jumping up in a sitting position.

He was breathing heavily, and as he crossed his legs under the blanket he rested an elbow on a knee while running his fingers through his hair. _What was that?_

Never before had he had a nightmare. He barely even had dreams before.

He sat there silently for a few minutes, trying to process what he could remember of his vivid dream. He…killed her.  _Killed_  her. What was this desire he had for her? It started right before his death, but now…it's like he needs the Onna.

What was he going to do? Was he going to do anything? This must have been the first time the ex arrancar's thoughts were in jumbles.

Sighing, he looked over to his digital clock on the nightstand. 11:58.

He had work in an hour.

Ulquiorra, thinking it best to get up and forget his troubles, rolled out of his black sheets and got dressed in yet another pair of sleek dark blue jeans and a short sleeved black shirt. Walking past the closet mirror, he stopped suddenly to look at himself, to see the change.

The short sleeves showed off his lean and muscular pale tan arms, arms that used to be completely white. The black shirt itself emphasized a complete contrast to the lightness of his skin, along with his black shoulder length hair that slightly blended into his shirt.

His tear marks were gone, yet his eyes were still forest green. The helmet was gone as well, revealing the other side of his head, hair messy from the morning, but he didn't care.

After grabbing a slim black wallet and matching black cell phone, items that Urahara had given him for his legal paperwork and to get into contact with others, he left his room.

He barely knew how to use the phone, and the only numbers in it were Harribel's and Urahara's, thus he originally did not want to carry a chunk of metal around with him. However, with a few scenarios given to him by the blonde scientist where he would need to contact someone or else die a terrible death, he decided it was not that bad.

He walked into the kitchen to find that Harribel was not there. He went over to the hallway on the opposite side of the loft where her room was, and found it shut, without any light coming from the cracks. She must still be sleeping.  _When did she get back?_

Not really caring, he went back to the kitchen and made himself a bowl of cereal…pretty much the only thing he knew how to make food wise.

Ulquiorra had actually been to the bookstore before to meet the owner. It was not that far away, and he found it quaint; in fact, even if he did not work there, he figured he would be spending most of his time there anyway.

Putting the now empty bowl in the sink, he looked at the clock on the microwave to see that he still had half an hour before he had to leave. He sighed; he supposed the only thing he could really do was watch the new television in the large "family room". Good thing he learned about the remote control yesterday.

Sitting on the couch, he turned the TV on via the remote and started flipping through channels until something,  _anything_ , that was not mindless drivel appeared. Suddenly he flipped to a strange movie that was classified as a "comedy" from the current info on the screen.

" _I 3_ _Huckabees"_

… _A movie discussing two human philosophies is supposed to be funny? Existentialism and Nihilism…_

Well, it caught his attention, so he started to watch it, seeing if the "hilarity" would spark his interest even further, and if it was worth it.

Suddenly-

_Smash_

With a slam of the door, Harribel came walking in the family room from her own. She had small bags under her eyes and seemed barely conscious; Ulquiorra resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Good morning…"

Her voice was extremely soft and weary. Ulquiorra sighed.

"I assume you mean good afternoon now…"

She looked at the clock before her eyes widened immediately.

"Oh! I am surprised I slept that late, it was a long night…"

"Making alcoholic beverages proved to be too tough?"

She glared at his dry humor.

"…It's tougher than it looks, especially since I am up all night, there was also a small bar fight I had to take care of."

He raised his eyebrow at this. "You broke up a fight?"

"You know, Ulquiorra, despite us being extremely weak compared to our previous selves, we are considered very strong for humans, along with reflexes that would make the redhead boy look weak. I threw them both out."

Ulquiorra didn't really say anything after that; he was taking what she said into consideration. It still didn't make him feel too much better.

"Oh, you start work soon. Do you know when else you will be working this week?"

He turned the television off and got up, getting ready to go.

"…Every day this week except Friday. Wednesday and Thursday I will be closing at 10 pm, every other day is the same time."

Harribel nodded her head.

"Alright, and I think we should both write down our schedules and put them on the refrigerator, that way we know. I start a little earlier today; will you be alright for dinner? You have money right?"

Ulquiorra nodded his head.

"I will see you later then."

He nodded once more and left the loft.

* * *

For a couple hours now, the pale young adult has been unloading boxes of new books and storing them in their respective shelves, then going back to take care of the boxes.

_So many books...How popular is this store anyway?_

He was lucky though, some would say. He did not have to wear an apron or uniform-all he had to wear was a nametag that said "Welcome to Karakura Books" above his name. The boss originally asked him if he needed a "Hablo Espanol" tag on the bottom, considering his name, but the ex espada denied that insinuation, again resisting the urge to sigh or roll his eyes.

Currently Ulquiorra was stacking shelves in the fantasy novel section toward the back when he heard the owner joyously greeting what seemed to be a well known customer. When the other person responded, he immediately paused, recognizing the voice.

"Oh, hello Takahashi-san! I am doing well, thank you!"

His well trusted logical mindset was yelling at him at the same time.  _Why are you stopping? Of course she's here, it's a bookstore! It's not taboo…_

He went about his stacking, minding his own business for the most part. His face never changed from indifference, but he could not deny that the moment he heard her voice his dream sparked in his mind. Before he knew it, Orihime was in the same section, looking for a new novel to read.

* * *

_He works at the bookstore!_

As soon as Orihime reached one of her favorite sections, she immediately noticed those green unmistakable eyes watching the bookshelf in front of him as he stacked the shelves. She hoped no one heard her small gasp, her breath hitched in her throat.

"Ah, Ul-Ulquiorra?"

* * *

"Ah, Ul-Ulquiorra?"

He couldn't ignore her now.

He turned his head slightly in her direction.

"Onna."

He watched her slightly falter for a response, something to say. Her fiery red hair was cast behind her, just about waist length; a few wavy bangs fell in between and to the side of her large grey eyes. It was not hard to tell that she was devastatingly beautiful…

_What am I thinking?_

She spoke up again as he continued putting the rest of the books away.

"How are you? Since yesterday, I mean…"

Ulquiorra sighed slightly.

"I am faring well, Onna, and yourself?"

She jumped up slightly, nervous.

"O-Oh, I am doing well too! I didn't know you worked here though, what a surprise!"

"Indeed."

She giggled lightly, and muttered under her breath.

"Always indifferent, aren't you…"

Putting the last book on the shelf, he turned fully towards her. What should he say?

"What particular literature were you looking for anyway?"

He looked directly into her eyes.

* * *

He was stunning…those eyes, that hair, the way his muscles slightly flexed as he put the books on the shelf…she could feel herself blushing.

"W-Well, I am not certain, really. I just finished my last novel, and I usually like this section, so…I was just going to browse."

He nodded, seemingly not noticing her flustered state.

Bending down slightly, he picked up the empty cardboard box that once held the books now on the shelf.

"I must be going, Onna. Good luck with your search."

He went to turn away…

And she did it again.

Instinctively, she grabbed his free wrist, causing her face to turn as red as her hair as he turned his head. Déjà vu.

Taking it back once more, she did more than just mutter another apology this time; she needed to have time with him…

"Wait! Do you want to go out sometime?"

A pause.

* * *

Go out? What does that mean?

"I fail to understand what you mean by 'go out', Onna."

She turned her head to the side slightly and cast her eyes downward.

"Well, I mean…would you like to go somewhere when you are free and…hang out…?"

_Hang out?_

"Or…ahh…you know…talk…and such?"

_What did she need to talk about?_

She didn't give up.

"When do you get off of work?"

Finally, something he knew how to respond to.

"Six."

"Alright, after you leave would you like to…oh…go to the coffee shop then? Unless you are busy…"

Ulquiorra decided he would muse her, especially seeing how pleading her face was, like she needed him to live. Truthfully, he didn't really mind spending time with her, however. There was something about her that made him too intrigued to leave; even back as her captor in Hueco Mundo did he spend most of his time with her.

"No, I will not be busy. I will accompany you at six then."

* * *

"Alright! Great! I will come back at six and then we can go!"

She was…excited. She would finally get to spend some personal time with him, time that her heart needed in order to calm itself for once.

He nodded his head, and she finally felt free under his gaze.

"I shall see you then."

Ulquiorra then turned away from Orihime to go back to the storage room.

Before he left, however, he turned his head back slightly to her direction and spoke to her in his deep silky voice that would make her blush profusely until she got home.

"And Onna, despite your instinctive desires, please refrain from grabbing my wrist every time I go to leave. It will get bruised."

Her eyes widened, not really catching the humor until a bit later, and muttering another apology.

He eyed her for another moment, and then he was gone.

She turned back to the books, excited and anxious about tonight, and still blushing about what just happened.


	7. A Date?

The moment Orihime got inside her apartment, she ran directly to her room and plopped on her bed, rethinking the day's events over and over again. Flipping herself around on her back, she dropped the bag with the book she got by the side of her bed and starred up at the ceiling.

She had a date.  _A date._

No wait. It wasn't a date. It was just her spending time with…with…

_Ulquiorra._

What would they even talk about? Well…it didn't matter; she was going to be with him, that was all that  _really_ mattered.

She looked at the clock; the poor girl still had three hours before their meet. The anxiety was already killing her. There she was; someone who wept nearly every night and every time another's name swept through her mind, when suddenly that same other person suddenly came back.

Those former feelings, she didn't know if she should be jumping for joy or feeling bad like Ichigo. Orihime supposed she should just go with the flow and along with whatever her heart is feeling at the time; that's how she got along before.

Sighing, she decided she had nothing better to do than to read her new book. Getting ready could wait two and a half hours.

The redhead leaned over to her side, picked up the bag, and took the book out that she bought not so long ago. She swept her hand over the cover, taking in the name.  _Love in the Times of Cholera._

Yes, it wasn't quite a fantasy novel like she had originally planned, but she figured a love story once and a while would rekindle her passionate flame that had seemed to die with the espada. She had read almost all of the books in the other particular section anyway.

Opening to the first chapter, she rested against her pillow and began to read.

* * *

_Well, it seems like everything's covered._

Rukia had been running through every possibility of how Soul Society would find out about the arrancar coming back to life. Nobody else had fought Ulquiorra save Ichigo and Uryu, so they did not know what he looked like enough to recognize him. The only one who really fought with Harribel was Hitsugaya…she doubted he would need to come to the World of the Living any time soon. As for Matsumoto…well…she'd have to find a way to cover, should the woman come back.

However, Rukia highly doubted Rangiku would want to see more of this town, after what happened…

Now she just needed to come up with a convincing lie, just in case.

' _Oh, hello! These people? They're not what you think! They are Orihime's foreign friends…from Mexico? Yeah, I know, they share the same names…strange, isn't it?'_

_Damn It._

A hollow cry was heard from her spot on a random rooftop in the town. Leaving her gigai behind her, Rukia pulled out her zanpaktou and ran to where the threatening being was.

She would just think of something later.

* * *

"Abarai."

Byakuya Kuchiki's voice was deep, silky, and commanding as always, but Renji would never admit that small detail. Hurriedly, as to not risk being sarcastically commented on, or scorned, or being held under that gaze, the pineapple head perked up at the Captain's voice.

"Y-Yes Kuchiki Taichou!"

"I have orders that you are being sent off to Karakura Town for a week to check out hollow activity. You will be leaving tomorrow morning."

_Hollow activity? Isn't Rukia already down there? Taichou probably signed me up for it so he wouldn't have to deal with me! That bastard! Of course the reiatsu's off; we just fought a war down there!_

"Abarai, are you going to begin afternoon training or will you just be staring at me all day?"

Byakuya had a raised eyebrow, indifferent yet slightly amused features on his face, but so slight that no one could possibly notice. Renji's face turned red at being caught lost in thought, and right before he ran off to the six squad training grounds he bowed slightly and gave a "Sorry, Taichou!", to which Byakuya had to refrain from rolling his blue grey eyes.

* * *

_And…Perfect!_

It was now 5:45, and Orihime was looking at herself in the long mirror, glad with what she found. She wasn't wearing anything too special, just a deep blue halter dress that brought out both her flame red hair and her grey eyes. Her hairpins were attached to the left strap, bright sky blue shining off the deeper background.

She was ready to go.

Taking her wallet and throwing it in her dress pocket, she locked her front door and left to meet Ulquiorra at the bookstore once more.

* * *

Ulquiorra sighed and took his nametag off, depositing it in his wallet. That was unbelievably…boring. Such was life, he thought.

After saying goodbye to the joyful boss, he opened the door and left the building, choosing to stand outside of the store on the sidewalk, for the Onna to notice. Putting his hands in his pockets, he wondered what she thought of him. Why did she want to spend so much time with him? He was the one that captured her and hurt her friends, so what were this girl's thoughts?

Before he could even process these thoughts, however, he saw a blur of red hair and automatically knew that she was there.

"Hello, Ulquiorra!" Orihime called out to him before taking a few more quick steps to reach him.

"Onna." He replied, indifferent as always.

She smiled at him, "I know the perfect place to go to! They have the best coffee ever!"

_Coffee? Is that some kind of human drink?_

Orihime noticed the confused look in his eyes. That was how she deciphered him; she knew his face wouldn't give anything away.

"Oh, well it's a hot beverage that makes people…" Biting her lip, she thought for a quick moment before snapping her hands in closed fists, putting them next to her closed eyes, and snapping both fists and eyes open to make her point. "Wake up!"

It was literally the cutest expression he ever saw, if he would acknowledge things being "cute". He raised an eyebrow.

"But we are already awake."

She gave an exasperated sigh.

"I  _know_  that, but still, it's a good drink once you get used to the flavor! Let's go!"

Orihime happily led the way, Ulquiorra by her side but back a step to tell where she was going.

It was odd, walking with her in a nonchalant fashion like this. Whenever they were to walk somewhere, he would be the one leading her way; dominance, one would call it. Now they were on the same level, in fact, she was more powerful than him now. He had lost all of his powers the moment he became a human, which was probably one of the most frustrating things.

Yet still, he must go with the flow.

After a few minutes of walking through the streets, Orihime opened the door to this medium sized coffee shop with an interesting name.

_Moonbucks._

_What?_

"Mmm, the smell in here is amazing!" Orihime smiled and, out of another instinctive act, took Ulquiorra's hand and dragged him through the place to get to the counter.

At the moment of contact, all voices drowned out of Ulquiorra's mind. He no longer possessed any other senses besides that of the feel of the woman's hands in his own. He tried to stop it, but a pink blush worked its way across his upper cheeks. He didn't say anything though, nor did he pull away like he usually would. Why? He did not know…but he liked the feeling of her hand in his…

"Two Mocha Lattes please!"

He looked down at her once they reached the counter to see that she was ordering their drinks. The woman at the register told her the price, to which Orihime began to dig out of her wallet the money needed. Ulquiorra sighed, remembering his manners.

"Onna, I will not allow you to pay, especially for me like I cannot handle myself. Here."

With that, he gave the worker the appropriate money and put his hand back in his pocket, leaving Orihime shocked that he actually paid for her.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra…you didn't have to do that for me!"

"It's nothing."

The cashier smiled, muttering something about how lucky Orihime was to have such a generous boyfriend, to which Orihime blushed profusely, and Ulquiorra furrowed his brow in confusion. Getting their drinks, the redhead led them to a small two-person table by the window, where no one was really around.

"Now, it's hot, so you are going to have to wait a little bit for it to cool!"

"I am not a child, Onna." Ulquiorra sighed, and Orihime chuckled.

"You're right…"

Next came a short silence, where the two of them were trying to get their thoughts together of what was happening. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ulquiorra spoke, shocking both he and the auburn haired girl.

"Why did you bring me here, Onna? Why are you so intent on seeing me…?"

Another silence as Orihime tried to muster together a plausible answer, and to get over her own shock at the question. Then finally…

"I don't know exactly, Ulquiorra. I suppose it is just…I…I was just so shocked at seeing you again, I had to make sure you were real…"

At this Ulquiorra gained an even more confused expression.

"Why do you not hate me? It is logical that you should. I kidnapped you, I made you suffer, and I tried to kill your friends. Yet, you seem to not take that into account at all, considering how easily you accepted the news at the park."

"I don't hate you, just like I wasn't afraid. I do not know why either, actually. I can admit however that I was always more of…a heart reliant person then a mind reliant one. I just go with my feelings, and though I can't explain it with logic, all I know is that I don't have it in me to hate you. And I know what you're thinking," she cut in quickly after the mention of the heart, seeing Ulquiorra's expression.

"The heart was a metaphor; I guess…a metaphor for emotions. I have always had a greater emotional sensitivity than most. Well, until after the war, anyway. I truly believe in the ineffable feelings, however; the feelings that cannot be put into words, because those are the purest of feelings."

Ulquiorra's voice dropped to a lower volume.

"An emotional heart…? Onna, why do you rely on such unreliable things when they end up hurting you? Were you at least…happy at my death?"

"I could never be happy at such a terrible thing! I blamed myself for not being able to save you…I hated myself after the war _, I was drowned in sorrow_ …"

This was the most shocking thing Ulquiorra may have ever heard.  _She felt sorrow for not saving me? How foolish…_

He noticed her eyes look downward, almost a glassy look to them. She was fighting back tears. Something in him fought to get the man to comfort her, but it was such a foreign feeling he could barely comprehend it. She smiled and looked back into his green orbs; possibly the saddest smile he had ever seen.

"I'm sorry. I know you must think this is so foolish, especially since we were enemies at one point, but still…I always felt as though you were special, like you were just going with the flow, just trying to survive or just doing what you can in the life you call meaningless. I don't blame you for the things that happened. I know you were on the opposing side, but Ichigo tried to kill you as much as you tried to kill Ichigo. That is the excuse I make for myself.

I realize that you must have had centuries of enduring in Hueco Mundo, and I felt terrible for that…that you could never have a second chance at having a nicer life. That is why I was happy at your return."

Ulquiorra took a moment to let everything she said sink in. He actually understood now why she felt that way…almost, anyway. If he was not hardened with years of loneliness and emptiness, he probably would have completely understood.

"You were right about one thing at least, Onna. It changes people, living for so long in a barren wasteland such as Hueco Mundo. But the fact that you are so quick to…to forgive something so terrible even though one had a hard past…I cannot classify whether that is the epitome of magnanimity or foolishness."

Orihime sighed, and took a sip of her coffee.

"I have finally begun to understand a glimpse of your feelings. I can see why you believe that everything is meaningless, and I can see how you believe that hope is useless. I personally see it as that we don't know. Whether or not we all have a greater meaning, we  _put_  meaning on the things that we feel need to have meaning. No one knows anything for sure, so we all quickly scramble about trying to figure out what everything means when we should just be enjoying life. I see that, but not to the degree you do. Hope distracts one from what they are doing, in a way…but it was because of hope that I was able to keep moving."

Ulquiorra intervened.

"It is because of your mental strength that bordered on ignorance that you were able to keep moving."

Orihime blushed at the compliment, whether he meant it to be or not.

"When you are hopeful, you become hopeless. When you are forced to rely on such a concept based off of luck, no one else can put hope in you, because you have given up on being able to get out of whatever situation yourself."

Orihime nodded her head. "I suppose that makes sense, and though I have so many sorrows and dealt with loneliness…I still try to look at a brighter side, to keep me from just giving up on life."

There is some wisdom to her words, Ulquiorra decided. Although so inexperienced compared to him, she seemed to know both schools of thought, and mixed them both as well.

"There is something  _I_ want to know now, though," Orihime decided.

"How do you feel about becoming a human?"

It took a while for him to respond. He could barely answer that question when he asked it to himself.

"I…I am not quite sure. I just went with my hollow instinct and went to the best place of survival, so right now it feels…weird. I feel considerably weaker, I feel like I have so much less control over my body let alone my "emotions" which are amplified in this state as well. There is nothing 'glamorous' about being a human, though you already know that, I'm sure. It overall feels strange."

Orihime smiled lightly at this. "Well, at least you are feeling, Ulquiorra."

He nearly glared at her for this comment, while she just chuckled.

No matter what, she was never completely fazed by him. As to why, he would probably never know.

After that intense conversation, they were both quiet for the most part. The rest of the outing included what Orihime would call an orientation to the human world. She tried to tell him everything he wanted to know and more while they finished their drinks. Ulquiorra did have to admit, it  _was_  a good drink after getting over the initial taste.

Finally, as it was starting to get dark out, the two decided to leave and get back to their respective places. Being the gentleman, Ulquiorra insisted that he make sure she got back to her own place alright, even if she was more powerful than him at the time. Perhaps it was just a former instinct when he had to escort her everywhere; maybe it was something more…

Either way, when they were walking down the sidewalk, neither of them could miss all of the giggles and comments about them being the "cutest couple", which they blissfully ignored.


	8. Unexpected

"Thank you for walking me home, Ulquiorra…and for going out with me."

It was just getting dark by this time when they reached Orihime's house. He stopped a few paces behind her when she spoke; it must that _that_  building is her area of living…

_The place looks like there's no one else living here…_

"You're welcome, Onna. I would not let you get hurt alone after seeing me."

At this she giggled, and, after a moment of contemplation she daringly put her arms around him into a hug. Ulquiorra didn't know what to do, so he just stood there, awkwardly. Good thing she pulled away quickly…

"It was nice talking with you…well then, I suppose I will see you later!"

He nodded his head as she turned around to walk in her house. Despite his human senses, he did not miss her murmur when she thought she was far enough away.

" _You have no idea how glad I am you're back."_

He watched her walk through the door and wave one last time before he turned around to make it to his own apartment, baffled.  _She missed him?_ After that whole conversation at Moonbucks, he finally understood a glimpse of her feelings about the war. She sounded much more realistic than before, but still too optimistic for him to comprehend fully. Ulquiorra figured he may never understand why she missed him so much.  _It must be another feeling from the heart she loves so much._

Trying to clear his mind, he walked at a slower pace to his loft, sure that he would be alone due to Harribel's late nights at the bar.

* * *

_Damn it, what's he doing here!_

Rukia felt his presence instantly after he stepped out of the senkaimon. Of course she recognized him; she only spent most of her life in Soul Society with the pineapple head. Whipping the closet door open, she jumped out of her "bed" and onto a certain strawberry sleeping on his own mattress to warn him.

"AH-RUKIA! WH-what's wrong? Is there a hollow-"

"Hush or you'll wake up your family! Can you not feel it? Renji's here!"

Ichigo jumped to a sitting position, the blanket swirled around his waist showing his shirtless chest, making Rukia slightly blush and look away quickly.

"His reiatsu…he's not really near us…oh shit, Rukia, what are we going to do about the espada?"

"We have to lie about it, let's just hope he doesn't notice them for now, but if he does we need a convincing argument…I would hate to bring him into this, he has much more to lose as a lieutenant!"

Ichigo sighed. "You're right…there's a pretty good chance he will be staying at Urahara's, he'll know what to do."

Rukia contemplated that for a moment; that was probably the best place for him to be.

"Alright, we'll see him in the morning to see why and how long he's here for…He couldn't have come at a worse time though!"

Suddenly, Ichigo grabbed Rukia's shoulders and pulled her in so close, their noses where nearly touching. She could even feel his breath on her lips, making her shiver inside.

"Look, we both have to make sure no one gives them away, and we'll be fine. If he never feels their reiatsu or notices anything, that'll be best, if he does, we'll either just lie or worst comes to worst tell him but make  _sure_  he won't tell a soul. It'll be fine, he's our friend."

Rukia nodded her head slowly, knowing that what he said made sense but still a little too flustered by his actions to come up with a good response. Finally, she decided to jump back into the closet.

"Good, we'll just have to deal with it in the morning then."

Ichigo nodded and watched as she closed the door before laying back down himself. It was going to be a hectic day.

* * *

_It was as he initially feared._

" _How could I possibly like you? You ruined my life and tried to kill my friends."_

_She hated him. Despised him._

" _You are so lucky that I am not allowed to tell Soul Society or Hueco Mundo because if I could, you would be dead in an instant."_

_It was as she should. He deserved no pity from her. He deserved her loathing._

" _I hate you, so much, you worthless vermin! I cannot even stand your presence…"_

_With every insult, every word of pure hatred, he found himself grow weaker for no reason he could fathom. Every time she spoke with that cruel, unforgiving tone, he lost even more of his will to live._

_Falling to the dark streets on which he now lie, she knowingly watched him suffer without so much a passing pitiful or sorrowful glance. He was shrinking under her gaze, and she knew it._

_He didn't say a word, though. He took in everything she said and understood why she said it. It was supposed to be this way. But still… was she really affecting him this much? How much did he really care for her…whose name he cannot say for fear of tarnishing it?_

"… _I'm leaving, forever. Have fun in hell…"_

" _Don't go…"_

_His words fell upon deaf ears. He did not even know why he pleaded with her to stay, why did he need her so much now? He never needed anyone before…what the hell is this?_

_She vanished into the darkness, leaving him all alone._

_He was used to being alone._

* * *

Ulquiorra woke up with wide eyes as he lunged forward, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

_Another nightmare, what is happening to me?_

That dream though…it was the complete opposite of how the woman professed to feel. It was the way she  _should_  feel. It was only a miracle that she didn't hate him. Wait…miracle? What did he care if someone didn't like him? He had to deal with that his whole life…

But it wasn't just anybody, it was  _her_.

Still…what was this feeling he had for her? He still felt the need to protect her, he still felt the need to be near her… he still felt the need…for her acceptance…

What was wrong with him?

Ulquiorra had no idea of what to think anymore. Everything has been a blur since he came to the human world.

The way he figured it, he had two options.

One: See her as much as possible until he finally understands.

Two: Don't see her at all until he finally understands.

Well…the odds of seeing her were great at this point, and he couldn't just hide. Despite that, however, it was more than what it seemed. Even he knew that. He  _wanted_  to see her. He  _needed_  to feel her presence. So that was settled. Option number one it was.

Looking over to see that he still had hours left until he should get up, he went back to sleep.

* * *

That morning, the sun shone brightly over Karakura Town. Skies were blue with just a hint of white fluffy clouds, and nature just seemed so much greener to those weary of depressing days. Although, the start of the new week did elicit some bad moods, but those were forgotten once everyone had met up at school, only there was one surprise.

"Hey, strawberry, pipsqueak."

Renji was dressed in his hippie clothes again, meeting Ichigo and Rukia in front of their house. Ichigo gave a simple "yo" while Rukia gave him a small punch to the face for the nickname.

"What are you doing here, Renji? Nothing terrible has happened here lately…" Rukia wanted an insight into what Soul Society was thinking.

Renji laughed.

"What, not happy to see me here? Ah-I'm actually still wondering that myself, to tell you the truth. They say they want me here for a week to give in a quick report on how the hollow activity is while you're still doing cleanup."

"That's odd," Ichigo chimed in, grinning an evil grin. "Perhaps they just didn't want you there anymore~"

Renji perked up and shoved Ichigo.

"Ha ha, very funny, they just want me here because I know the most about this town besides Rukia. And  _you_  wouldn't be good enough to give a half decent report, so…"

And with that, the fighting began. Renji and Ichigo were arguing and giving play fights like children while Rukia rolled her eyes, trying to ignore them, when finally she broke it up.

"Why did you get here so late last night instead of the morning?"

Renji turned over to her.

"I was bored."

Ichigo sighed.

This was certainly going to be an interesting week, so it seemed.

* * *

The school day progressed to be quite the normal one; nothing too special happening, just plain old boring learning plaguing the poor students. Renji actually didn't go to school this time around, he was just sitting on rooftops and seeing if anything abnormal was happening, until at one point he was so bored he actually fell asleep lying on a random building.

Orihime, despite the calm of the day, couldn't get her mind in one place at a time. She kept thinking about Ulquiorra the night before. He seemed…different in a way. The same, but different. He complimented her, whether he realized it or not, he partially understood her views, and even if he didn't, she could tell he was  _trying._

She also liked being in his company without the pressure of being kidnapped. It had been a long time since she had a conversation like that, and despite their slightly differing views, she liked the food for thought. The red head couldn't help but feel like his presence was also soothing, in a way. As for all the other feelings, she could not explain them well. She couldn't even identify them herself.

She liked to go with the flow, so she would continue to do just that.

After school, Orihime visited him again at work, just dropping by to say hi, or making meaningless small talk, anything to continue to be with him. Although he didn't show it, she had the slightest feeling he enjoyed her company too.

She would continue to visit him nearly every day after that at the bookstore as well.

* * *

Hours later, it was just reaching 10 at night, and Renji had decided to go out for a small drink, seeing as how he was tired from going around town all day, getting random hollows, and investigating. This was good though, he thought; now he could slack off the rest of the week because he was pretty positive there was nothing left to look at. Of course he couldn't stay at Urahara's for long however: he didn't like being called a moocher.

"What will you have?"

Female bartender; he hadn't seen one of those in a long time.

"Just a sake, please."

"Of course."

She had long blonde hair and piercing green eyes, but there was something different about her. Her reiatsu…it was human…but…there was something… _hollow_  to it. Could she even see spirits? Was she being fed off of slowly? Or was she something malevolent…?

Harribel turned back to him and gave Renji his cup, smiling. Renji hesitantly took the cup and gave her the cash before she was on her way to another customer. He decided to stay sitting at the bar, to keep an eye on her. He took a sip and sighed.

It wasn't like he could make a scene anyway…he would have to come back when her shift was over and ask her himself, in his shinigami form, just in case. Just when he felt like he had no other option, however, someone unexpected showed up.

"Ah, well hey there, moocher-san."

Urahara saved the day. The blonde sat next to him in the empty seat and ordered another sake. Renji raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you liked to go out to bars, Urahara-san."

"Yes, well, I have my needs, such as a good time at a popular bar…" He turned over to Renji. "But there is someone I want to keep an eye on."

Renji didn't need it spelled out for him.

"The bartender."

Urahara smiled.

"Precisely! Very astute, moocher-san! You see, she can see spirits like Ichigo once could and such, but so can a lot of people who have been around the strange happenings of this town. Only she walked by my place to get to work a week ago at a particularly bad time. I was experimenting, and she seemed to get a little exposed to it, giving her human reiatsu a hollow like feel."

Renji nodded his head, but turned over to Urahara, a baffled expression on his face.

"What experiment were you doing anyway?"

Urahara took a sip of his drink and smirked.

"There are some things I can't tell you, moocher-san. Don't worry though; the chances of you getting exposed to a bad experiment are…48%?"

"THAT'S ALMOST HALF!"

"So it is…don't worry about it though, you'll be fine, moocher-san."

Renji sighed once more and dropped his head. It was going to be a long week.


	9. Dread

"Where have you been going lately? I barely see you in the afternoons anymore…"

Tatsuki sat on Orihime's bed in her room after school the next day, watching her friend who was getting out their homework to do together.

"Oh Tatsuki-chan! No need to worry about me, I have just been finding things to do with my spare time. You know how it can be here sometimes…and when you have karate I find other things to do too!"

"Like what though? Whatever you've found, it seems as though you are addicted."

"Addicted? I just like going out!"

"Hm…"

Tatsuki didn't seem convinced; she knew the red head didn't like to feel alone ever since her brother died, but as of late she was either going _somewhere_  or alone at her house, not wanting to see anyone. She decided to ask at least one question that may let some secrets in the open.

"If something important happened with you, good or bad, you would tell me, right? I mean…we've been best friends for so long…"

Orihime widened her eyes and looked over to Tatsuki, giving a smile.

"Of course I would, Tatsuki-chan. It's just…I don't know if what I'm doing is what you're thinking. I would hate to disappoint you and all."

Tatsuki smiled and jumped off the bed, sitting next to Orihime and getting her books out as well.

"We'll never know unless you tell me! Please, Orihime-san, tell me what it is you're up to!"

The red head sighed. There was no getting out of it.

"Well…over winter break I…made a friend…and when I thought I would never see him again, he returned here, so I've been seeing him…"

Not a  _total_  lie.

"That's great, Orihime! What's his name? Where's he from? What does he look like?"

"Whoa Whoa Tatsuki-chan! You never like to talk about boys like this!"

"This is different though, you're my best friend and I want to know what's going on in your life!"

Orihime giggled.

"Alright…his name's Ulquiorra and he's…European…"

"Ulquiorra, huh? What an interesting name…is he hot?"

Now, you cannot blame Orihime for not telling anyone the traumatizing times of the war, even if it was her own best friend. They were just times that she didn't have the heart to speak about, things that bore heavily on her friends as well; things that were better left not talked about.

At the question, however, the poor girl blushed a color as red as her hair and became very wide eyed.

"H-Hot?"

Tatsuki playfully rolled her eyes and smiled, tapping Orihime on the head,

"Stop being embarrassed, you know what I mean."

"Ah...well…" She bit her lip, was she really going to say this?

"I think he is extremely attractive, yes…"

"Oh! I'm so happy for you, Orihime! You've found someone!"

Orihime waved her hands and shook her head.

"Well, I don't know if it's anything like that! I didn't want to tell you before because it might not turn out to be anything really-"

"Cut it out, Orihime! I can tell by the blush on your face that you  _really like_ him!"

The red head sighed as the tomboy smiled victoriously.

"Don't worry though, Orihime-chan! I will keep it a secret and I won't even ask to see him until you're more official! I want you to spend as much time with him as you can! It's about time you found someone else to help ease the loneliness anyway…"

The auburn haired girl sighed and smiled lightly, muttering a "thank you". Now that she had her friends blessing, perhaps she should spend even more time with him…

Just to see how he felt.

_Right._

* * *

He was closing up the shop on Wednesday night.

Sighing, he turned the lights off and locked the door as he headed off home, fatigued due to his trying and long day of work. With unloading cargo in his weak human form and no breaks, Ulquiorra was just looking forward to hitting his bed and passing out. The Onna hadn't even visited him today.

As much as he understood she couldn't see him  _all_  the time (she did have a life), he still would have liked her reassuring presence-

_What am I thinking?_

Another sigh escape his lips. He was used to these bipolar thoughts by now. It didn't mean he had to like them though. Yet there was no escaping the facts; he  _liked_ it when she was around him. Orihime Inoue was one of the only people he could bear to be around as of late.

Walking away, he took his nametag off and placed it in his pocket along with his hands and began to casually stroll down the street and enjoy the night peace. Suddenly-

"GET OFF OF ME!"

An ear shattering scream came from the alley way a little ways in front of him, a terrifying scream…

Ulquiorra's eyes widened, he knew that voice…

… _He knew that scream…_

Not thinking, he ran in front of him to see a group of men surrounding something where they thought no one would notice. He could barely see what they were standing around, talking to, until…there it was…

_Red._

Not just red hair, though…there was blood on her face…

Orihime was wounded by barbaric human men. And that wasn't all they were going to do with her.

His green eyes turned murderous with rage as an overwhelming desire to protect took over his very conscious. It was almost as if the hollow of his past took over, all he knew was that idiotic men were trying to steal the purity of an angel, of the Onna.

_His Onna._

Without a second thought he quickly ran into the scene, and with every step he took he felt a new power rise within him, raw and animalistic. Before he was her kidnapper, now he would be her savior.

The group of about 6 men was completely surrounding Orihime, oblivious to Ulquiorra who was nearing them not a moment too soon. It was only when he was directly behind the large man nearest to him that he could see the situation completely.

It almost seemed as if they knew here power, for the man behind her had his hands grasping the redhead's behind her back, the man next to him had his hands on her throat and a third had his hands covering her mouth completely. Could she even breathe?

The one thing though that he could see before he gave into the rage was the look in her eyes. Not fearful, but filled with disgust and resent for what was happening. Was she truly never afraid? Something akin to pride swelled in his chest from that, and the fact that there were three other men unconscious by her feet.

She took out three men before the other six were able to constrain her.

But there wasn't time to speculate, there wasn't time for pride, there wasn't time for doubts. As another man got up very close to her, about to grab her did the beast in him finally wake up.

Putting his hand on the shoulder of the guy he was behind, Ulquiorra knocked the man out with a single punch when he turned around surprised. The others turned around immediately and tried to gang up on him as well. Expertly, he weaved around them and knocked out each one after blocking or moving out of the way from their fists, either punching them or chopping them in the throat.

He felt a cut on his right arm as blood rushed down to his fingers as he realized that they also had knives on them. Barely even acknowledging the wound, he grabbed the knife and swiped the threat with it while kicking the disgusting man while he was down as well. Finally, he turned around to face the last one standing.

The atrocious man now had a knife to the angel's throat with one hand, her hands still behind her back with the other. He was laughing, egging him on.

All of the sudden, before Ulquiorra could take action, Orihime ripped her wrists out of his grasp, hit his arm with the knife so it fell away from her neck, and kicked backwards into his groin, actually sending him flying.

Ulquiorra stood in awe, wide eyed at her action.  _Was she always this good in hand to hand combat?_

They both looked around them to let everything sink in. About nine guys were scattered at their feet, but Ulquiorra was more interested in  _her_ condition.

Orihime had a cut on her cheek with blood dripping from it and down her throat. Along with this, the thin shirt she was wearing was torn up and there were also a couple knife wounds on her stomach, everything else was alright.

He could hardly bare to see her wounded; she needed to be cleaned as soon as possible.

Then he looked up to her eyes and saw the sadness pouring out of them. She felt weak, like she was going to collapse, and without another thought he opened his arms and let her fall into him. He felt her wet tears on his shirt, but he didn't mind. All of his thoughts were now placed on comforting and fixing the angel before him.

"Hush, Onna…I will bring you to my loft, alright? I am not expecting you to say no, and I will not take it for an answer."

She nodded her head and he sighed.

Realizing he had no desire to let her walk with those wounds, he picked her up bridal style, and with a small squeak she became wide eyed before resigning and resting her head against his chest.

They walked back in silence.

* * *

Suddenly, Orihime was placed on a futon in a dark room she assumed to be Ulquiorra's after they entered his spacious loft. Good thing Harribel was gone for the night again.

Ulquiorra hesitated at her side before strengthening his resolve with the thought that it was his duty to heal her. Slowly, he started to lift her shirt until it reached the bottom of her breasts. At this, she weakly raised her hands as a blush worked its way upon her pale skin.

"I can heal myself, Ulquiorra…"

Her voice sounded so tired.

"If you do, you will drain your reiatsu and die. Just let me, Onna."

She lowered her hands and tilted her head to the side when she figured he was right; watching him do what he pleased. He stood up, muttered something about being right back, and left for a moment before coming back with bandages.

Taking a closer look at the knife wounds, Ulquiorra saw that they were not too deep, much to his relief, but the bleeding needed to stop now. Placing most of the bandage on top of her belly, he placed his other hand on the small of her back and lifted her up to wrap it around the back as well.

Her face was flushed, and usually she would be extremely embarrassed about this, which she was, but Orihime was just so tired and flustered and…ashamed that she had let this happen to say anything or try to stop him.

After he had bandaged her stomach, Ulquiorra saw the small cut on her cheek. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she was, even if her cheek was slightly marred. Without thinking, he swiped his thumb across her cheek when he gently put his hand on the side of her face. Her eyes widened as she muttered his name, intriguing him to the fullest.

Slightly coming back to his senses, he sat back on his knees somewhat, and she missed his warmth.

Orihime spoke softly, her eyes downcast, making Ulquiorra furrow his brow in confusion.

"I-…Thank you, for saving me…I know what you're thinking, I should have been able to hand myself…but I was caught off guard, but that's still no excuse…"

Ulquiorra was nearly astounded that she was blaming herself for getting hurt.  _Was she insane?_

"Onna, you had nine oversized men surrounding you and you had managed to take out three before they constricted you. It was a matter of numbers."

She nodded slightly and looked down. She didn't know why she was showing her weakness to anyone, but truthfully, she supposed that she had been waiting for someone that wouldn't judge her when she said how she really felt. Waiting for someone who wouldn't cast her aside so easily.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. It's just that…ever since the war…" She sighed.

"You know my power isn't that great, compared to everyone else's at least. I mean, it's just not as…offensive or threatening…kind of like me I suppose." She gave a sad smile.

"I guess I'm just a little low on self confidence. I take solace in the fact that I can heal and bring life back to things…that's what I have decided to do…protect, not fight."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Ulquiorra's thumb swiped it away. She thought he wasn't going to respond, and she was fine with that. At least she got to say a glimpse of what she felt. She saw Ulquiorra turn toward the balcony windows in his room behind Orihime's head. His words were soft, soothing.

"It is a beautiful night."

She slightly turned her head and saw the stars twinkling through the jet black sky over the town. It was beautiful. He spoke once more, eyeing her as he switched his position. His knees were tucked up against his chest, one arm holding them as he faced the window. His right arm was wrapped over her with his hand still on her cheek, his face in her direction.

"I have lived centuries with weaker beings who proclaim to be strong and worthy. I have lived centuries with idiots who don't know what they are doing, but think they do. I have lived centuries in a place where there was no virtue, just a live and let die society where the last one standing won. Onna…there is a reason why you were feared by Aizen so much. You could reverse things stated by God, a majority of your power is to protect and revive others, but that does not make you weak. To be the strongest around, you have to be strong in both body and mind. To be the weakest, you have to be weak only in mind.

Though you are certainly not the strongest, you are most definitely up there, at least in my eyes."

That touched Orihime more than anything else, especially his last statement. A few more tears were flowing down her soft pale cheeks as she was listening to his deep silky voice trying to uplift her. Her voice was crackling, but she was smiling as she replied.

"I once heard you say that 'The things reflected in my eyes have no meaning; the things that could not be reflected in my eyes do not exist.' I cannot say I agree, at least with the second half, for I believe in all things I cannot see. But the fact that you say you can see my strength means the world to me, because I know you would not lie."

"I have no need to lie, especially to you, Onna. For some reason you have always found ways to get around me anyway."

She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't think about what she was doing, or what would happen afterwards. Orihime suddenly smiled as she grabbed his pale hand with her own and kissed his fingers. Ulquiorra also succumbed to the feeling emanating from her after his eyes widened at the contact, though he still could not name it.

Taking his fingers from her lips, he slid his hand down gently as he lightly ran his fingers over her slender neck, and after resting them there for a bit, making her shiver very much, he slid them even further down, around her body and rested the palm of his hand on the small of her back, bringing her closer.

Resting his elbow next to her face, he had an overwhelming feeling that this was what he had been waiting for, even though he didn't know it. But all doubts and thoughts exited his mind the moment she took his hand to her lips, and he went with his heart, which he never believed in.

Lowering his face to hers, he engaged her in a passionate kiss.

Orihime blushed at the contact, and found that the feeling of his soft lips pushing against her own was simply incredible. Her eyes widened before she finally gave in, closing her silver orbs, and kissing him back.

As soon as Ulquiorra felt her return the kiss, something inside him lifted. He didn't know what it was, and he didn't care. It was something akin to relief though.

After slightly rubbing her back, he took her other hand that was desperately searching for his and brought it up over her head. Orihime brought her other hand and grabbed his hair, their pants and deep breaths their new soundtrack, and the light of their eyes when actually opened (which wasn't that much at this point) the only light in the otherwise dark room lit by the stars and moon through the large windows.

He nibbled on her bottom lip, something led by pure instinct, and she lightly moaned and shivered once more, something which Ulquiorra found that he liked. Next he tried sweeping his tongue across her lips, and she parted them until they were completely making out. They kept this intimate moment going until finally they broke for breath.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at the intensity of what they were doing, and Orihime's own eyes were still glazed over with a mixture of emotions.

He sat back immediately, looking down and apologizing when he felt Orihime's hand grasp his arm.

"Don't be sorry…I enjoyed it…"

"Orihime…"

He thought her face would be permanently red from the blushing as he stared into her silver depths, trying out her name. The intensity of his own deep emerald green gaze was enough to ensnare her, lost in his eyes. After a few minutes of silence, Orihime spoke in a soft whispering voice.

"So what do we do now?"

"…I am not sure…"

After looking down, he suddenly recaptured her eyes and asked,

"Are you hurt anywhere else? Did they ever touch you?"

She smiled. "No, you saved me just in time, Ulquiorra."

"Why were you out so late anyway?"

"…I was going to see you…"

He sighed.

Neither of them knew what was going to happen, what they were going to do from there, or even what was happening now. All they knew was that whatever was taking place, they didn't want it to stop; and all they wanted to do was to stay in each other's arms.


	10. Humourous Shock

The rest of the week went by rather oddly.

Renji had gone back to Soul Society with reports of only expected hollow activity, despite his running into Harribel. Running to tell Ichigo the good news when she heard from her soul phone, Rukia had accidentally ran in on Ichigo showering, falling into the tub when she slipped on the wet bathroom floor and between the curtains. He covered up just in time with the blush of a thousand Orihimes, while Rukia proceeded to jump into her closet and not come out until dinner. She would always be flustered around him for her remaining stay on Earth.

The day after the closing shop incident, her friends decided that Orihime was not exactly the same. Yes, she had a scratch on her cheek, but it was something else as well. No one who asked found out the truth behind that cut, and others, especially Tatsuki, noticed her personality change to mostly longing but happier, but sometimes sadder as well. It was too wide of an emotional gap too quickly.

As for Orihime and Ulquiorra, the former made it a point to always visit the latter at least once a day. They would go out to the coffee shop on breaks and after he left work, yet he was sure to make her stay at home past a certain time when he was working late. Neither of them exactly knew how to go about everything, or what this was, but there were times when the _both_ of them were found blushing over things they weren't quite used to.

Sometime at night in the middle of the next week, Ulquiorra had made the second grand move and kissed her goodnight in front of her house. Things were moving along at their own pace, but they were undoubtedly moving. Before they knew it, there was only a week left of school before Orihime got out for summer break, and her friends were intent on finding the truth behind Orihime's constant "disappearances".

* * *

"Haven't you noticed anything odd though about Inoue-san?"

Uryu was the first one besides Tatsuki who was extremely curious as he asked Orihime's best friend about her after school. Once everyone else in the group heard about his concerns, they started noticing differences as well.

"I told you, she has a friend she wants to spend time with, is that so terrible?" Tatsuki, although actually telling the truth, still had her friend's back.

"I just want to know why she has changed so much though, she is so different!" Ichigo added in when they were all walking down the street. Everyone from the war knew in the back of their mind what was most likely the case, but they just could not come to terms with it.

"Forgive me, I didn't know being happy was so wrong."

She had an answer for everything.

Though Rukia was also curious, and a little protective.

"I just want to see who her friend is…"

"Hold that thought," cut in Ichigo once more. "Where are we going again?"

Uryu sighed. "We need to get our summer books, and we might as well do it now."

By this time they were nearing the entrance to the Karakura bookstore. The group was still minding their own business, when suddenly Rukia looked in the window of the store, her eyes meeting a scene that no one was really expecting. She stopped and pushed everyone back, being in the front of the group.

"Gah, Rukia, what's the matter with you!"

"SHH. Look!"

At this, everyone looked into the window, and was able to see shelves upon shelves of different books. After a second or two, they could have sworn a familiar voice came from inside.

" _What about a movie then? I'd hate to see you get addicted to coffee…"_

"Is that…?"

"It can't be…"

"But it is…"

"Oh, so that's what this guy looks like."

Everyone turned to Tatsuki after her statement. Uryu twitched.

"Are you telling me that _this_  is whom she's spending all of her time with!"

"Seems so."

"Ulquiorra…of all people…" Ichigo was astounded. As crazy as it seemed though, he could slightly understand why him. Only slightly. He couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by her, he went through so much to rescue her…only to have her voluntarily go back to her captor. It wasn't right.

" _I will see you tonight after your shift, then!"_

"Crap, she's coming!"

"HIDE!"

With that, everyone seemed to turn their back or hide next to the store until Orihime had left. Poor Chad, on the other hand, was not able to hide in time and was standing there awkwardly as Orihime went to pass him. She stopped and looked up at him, and surprise that turned to a slight tinge of fear turned back into a pleasant smile as she stopped and talked to him.

"Oh, hey Sado-kun! How are you today?"

"I'm alright, Inoue-san, and yourself?"

_He was good._

"I'm doing well, thank you! I'm sorry, but I am in a bit of a rush and must be going! I'll see you tomorrow!"

And she was off. Passing him with a nice wave and smile, Orihime walked down the street, not noticing anyone else sigh a breath of relief as they came out of hiding when she passed them. Suddenly, Ichigo turned around and seized Tatsuki's shoulders.

"You need to go over to her house and find out what time that movie is!"

Tatsuki sighed, and nonchalantly knocked his hands off her.

"Do you really want to spy on them? What is so bad about this?"

Uryu cut in.

"As much as I am against spying, I think we should at least see how they interact, to make sure Orihime's… _safe._ "

Tatsuki rolled her eyes,  _Yeah right…he just wants to sit there and seethe in jealousy._

Rukia stuck with the other ladies, so it seemed.

"If you guys really care about her this much, wouldn't you do well to at least trust her?"

"…But now that you mention it," Tatsuki had a devilish grin on her face. "I'm curious to see the two of them…"

Rukia sighed, nodding her head. They were all curious.

Tatsuki gave in. "Alright! I'll do it!"

* * *

"Well, I'm a little busy tonight…why do you ask?"

Orihime had a confused expression upon her face as she looked at her best friend and great shinigami friend outside her house.

Tatsuki and Rukia's faces were priceless; simply smiling, eyes closed, grins wide. It was rather scary, in Orihime's opinion.

"Oh! We were just wondering if you wanted to hang out with us!" Rukia started.

"But it's alright if you're busy!" Tatsuki finished. "We'll do it another time!"

_Since when were those two even great friends? I don't know whether to be happy or afraid…_

"Oh, but also," Tatsuki interrupted her thoughts. "What time will you be out tonight?"

She couldn't find a reason  _not_  to answer.

"Well…I'll be leaving around 6 and will be back a little later-"

"OK! That sounds great, have fun!"

Rukia sounded almost  _too_  happy about this…

With that though, they left, before Orihime could even wave goodbye.

"That was odd…" She muttered to herself.

* * *

_A screen that shows fast moving pictures for two hours? Something that depicts lives of fantastical people…How odd, humans…_

Ulquiorra was taking off his nametag, a usual ritual, and thinking about what the Onna said before.

" _Oh! It's amazing; we get to sit in the dark and eat lots of snacks and watch a really good story by actors that gets recorded onto a video recorder to show later! It's awesome!"_

He then thought of the "movie" she wanted to see: Harry Potter. She mentioned how it was a story about a group of children with "witch and wizard" power that gets into a lot of trouble. He actually saw the books as he was stocking them…it must have been adapted.

_Humans are too strange, yet I might as well get used to it…_

Fixing his shirt, he left the bookstore and immediately met up with the one who stole his heart, Orihime.

They started walking.

* * *

"Ulquiorra! You don't have to pay for me all the time, I feel bad!"

"No need to, Onna. You will not be paying as long as you are with me, I will not allow it."

Orihime sighed and lightly smiled up to him.

"Oh come on now, listen, you go to the theatre and get us two seats. The best seats are in the second to last row up top, alright? I am getting the snacks, whether you like it or  _not._ "

_When did she get so demanding?_

Knowing that there was no use in arguing, Ulquiorra did what she said, handed her the ticket, and left to find suitable seats for them.

* * *

"Are they in here?"

Ichigo was whispering to the group of Tatsuki, Rukia, Uryu, and Chad along with himself in the back row of the theatre, so they could see everything. It was only a two complex, and this was the only theatre playing the movie, so they  _had_  to be in this one.

"No, not yet…WAIT! I think I found Ulquiorra at least…"

Rukia pointed over to where the pale man was finding seats as the woman said; two rows from the top. He looked up, and everyone ducked. The poor man felt like people were watching him, but he shook it off and immediately went up in the middle of the row and sat down, saving a seat for the Onna.

How ironic was it that he was right in front of them.

Uryu rolled his eyes. Now he would have no choice but to stare at them, pretty much.

Suddenly everyone spotted Orihime rushing through the aisles with popcorn and candy in her arms as she quickly located Ulquiorra and went to join him. Instead of ducking, the group turned the other way as though they were all talking to some nonexistent person at the end of the row.  _Not obvious at all._

Orihime happily sat down next to Ulquiorra and started eating the popcorn, trying to get the ex arrancar to try it. After a moment's hesitation, he accepted the oddly popped cornel and placed it in his mouth, slowly chewing and getting used to the different texture. He nodded his head after he swallowed; telling Orihime that it was good, to which she smiled and kept eating, talking about how excited she was about the movie.

Suddenly, the lights went out and the screen turned on, and it was time for Harry Potter to take the stage. Both the couple and the group went instantly silent, watching what was in front of them.

* * *

Two hours later, and Ulquiorra was walking Orihime home again, the group still closely on their tail. During the movie, nothing had really happened between the two of them. Yes, the group saw the girl cuddle up to Ulquiorra and daringly rest her head on his shoulder, but that was it for moves.

They were actually surprised he let her. Were they more than what they seemed?

"Thank you, Onna, for taking me with you…"

Quickly, in front of Orihime's home, the group hid behind the bushes, Rukia pushing in front to get a better view of the two.

"Oh! No problem at all, I like spending time with you!"

She was blushing as she admitted that small fact.

Ulquiorra eyed her before sighing.

"I shall never understand why, though. You have a mind like no one I have ever encountered."

Orihime giggled and whispered.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Ulquiorra, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Onna…"

The group watched the odd exchange between the two, and was blown out of their minds as Ulquiorra bent down slightly, placed his hand on her chin to lift her face, and gave her a short and sweet kiss on the lips. She immediately hugged him tightly, and he watched her go inside her house.

None of those in the bushes knew what to do, or think, but it was as they thought; the two were  _a couple._

Suddenly they ducked as Ulquiorra whipped his head over to where they hid, for he could have sworn that he heard a noise. He stood there, completely still from old instincts for a moment before turning and leaving when he deemed there was nothing there of importance.

When he was far enough away, a heavy sigh could be heard from everyone.

"That was close…" Rukia whispered, to which Tatsuki, who was grinning, nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

"What do you think about that, sir?"

It was late at night in the Sereitei, and Yamamoto soutaichou was sipping tea with his lieutenant in the 1st squad barracks. Clicking pause on the remote, the second in command turned around toward his leader from the big screen, showing a pale attractive man staring at the bushes in alarm. Sasakibe spoke again.

"It certainly seems like the camera on Kuchiki-san works well."

Yamamoto nodded his head gravely, before agreeing in his commanding voice.

"Yes, and there is no denying the evidence that is showing off directly in front of my old eyes. That man is none other than previous Espada number four of Aizen's army. Ulquiorra Cifer. Wouldn't you agree, Espada number three?"

He turned around to see Harribel chained to a chair. Slightly wounded and breathing heavy, she had put up a fight to get here, but being human, really had no choice. Her mouth was bound by a piece of fabric, and she was glaring at the Captain Commander from where she sat.


	11. Despair

Opening the door, Ulquiorra walked into the loft pretty tired. He went into his room, changed into comfier clothes (aka pajamas) and went back to the kitchen for a quick snack before retiring for the night. The place was eerily silent, and though silence was his favorite virtue, he had to admit it only added to the odd feeling he had all night of being watched.

_Wasn't tonight Harribel's time off?_

Checking the list of when she was working, he confirmed his guess. So where was she?

The man sighed, figuring that she was just out somewhere, and made himself a bowl of cereal. Before he could sit down, however, he heard a noise from the hallway. Instantly, he turned his head and went over silently to look around.

He looked toward Harribel's room to see that the door was slightly open, so he went down to take a look. Reaching her bedroom door, Ulquiorra placed a hand on the flat surface before pushing it open further and looking into the dark room. For the most part, it was clean, save a small mess by her nightstand; as if someone had been looking through her things. On the very top were two old articles that were slightly torn and faded.

He slowly picked them up and read the headlines. On one:

" _Mother's tragic death during childbirth leaves orphan alone."_

On the second:

" _Dead mother's body identified as famous assassin."_

He had heard that her hollow hole was in her uterus…and her aspect of death  _was s_ acrifice…

_So that was her story…_

Ulquiorra snapped his head back as he heard a small bang in the other hallway.

_These senses…if only I was still powerful…_

Nonetheless, he went down the other hallway toward his own room to see who was there as he quickly went through a list of how he would go out whoever was there.

Now he was in the center of the hallway between his room and living room, standing so still that one could just barely hear his breath. He was waiting for another sound, anything.

Suddenly he snapped his head again in the direction of his room, automatically knowing someone was there.

His eyes immediately landed on a terrifying image of that same angel from the void in a black hood, holding out a bloody, beating heart to him, a smile on the only visible part of her face.

She was so close to him, her wings were spread so far back…

He took a step back in awe and slight fear, but when he blinked, she vanished.

His heart was racing, and he didn't know what the hell was going on with him. His legs moving a little bit faster than usual, he went back to the kitchen, figuring that after he ate, things would get better. He knew in the back of his mind that wouldn't be true, though.

So Ulquiorra sat in the kitchen, eating and thinking, not noticing the reiatsu slightly shift because of his decreased human senses. Again, he suddenly had the feeling of people watching him, and he quickly looked up to see nothing unusual. He narrowed his eyes.

_What the hell is going on?_

Suddenly, before he could take another bite of his cereal, figures in black with swords jumped from the shadows, seizing Ulquiorra. At least he could see them, unlike a normal human. Jumping up from his seat, his spoon fell to the floor with a clang as he held his hand out to fire a cero. _Wait a minute…Damn it…_

He fought and tried to get out of their grip, but with his human power, it was to no avail, and he was bound and on his way to Soul Society.

_Shit._

At least he knew Orihime was safe.

* * *

"Those final exams were such a pain."

Tatsuki commented to the usual group as they walked home from school. Orihime nodded her head, anxious to get home and relax before meeting Ulquiorra again. She had a strange feeling though that things weren't normal.

"At least they're over though. Now we have two days left where we do nothing."

Uryu looked ahead. "Yes, so what's the point?"

Ichigo agreed, "I know, right?"

"All well, I'll see you guys later though!" Tatsuki's house was the first on their trip. And now it was just the supernatural miscellaneous beings.

After waving goodbye, they walked in silence for a little bit. Now everyone knew about Orihime's relationship, but they did not know how to go about it. Should they wait for her to tell them? Should they just let her know? Do they even like this? They could not deny it, however; there was always something special about those two, even in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo remembered how Orihime looked more saddened by his death than any other hollow around.

Ichigo decided to break the ice a little.

"Orihime…-"

He was cut off quickly by the ring of Rukia's soul phone. Snapping it open, she put it to her ear. The group stopped walking, Orihime nervous at what was going on and a little about what the fellow red head wanted. They watched the shinigami's eyes grow wide as she muttered a "right away" and hung up the phone.

Uryu inquired. "What was that about?"

"It was Urahara-san. He said it was an emergency, and we need to join him immediately. He's not at the shop though; he's in a loft at 158 Havens Street."

At this, Orihime's eyes widened greatly; she knew that address. What was wrong? What had happened when she wasn't there? Everyone changed direction instantly as they went to the place the scientist mentioned. Whatever was going on, they needed to get there quickly.

* * *

"I told you nothing good would come of this. You should have listened!"

Tessai and Urahara were in the loft of the ex espada, the former on the verge of anger. Urahara kept his eyes downcast, watching the spoon that lied on the floor; he voice was quiet.

"What would you have had me do? I couldn't just leave them in the streets; they would have caused a commotion-"

"Then you should have shipped them somewhere else!" He was heated at this point.

"Kisuke, you know I like to help those in need, but those two? How did you think this was going to end? They were in the same town as the others for God's sake! We haven't even figured out how they knew about this!"

Urahara sighed.

"I have a theory."

Tessai put his hand to the back of his head, trying to calm down. He was always so calm; but now they were screwed. After a moment they heard a knock on the door before it opened, revealing the orange hair of a certain substitute shinigami.

"…Urahara-san, is everything alright?"

"Come in here, everyone." He called out to the young group.

They all gathered around him, Orihime looking around, flashbacks of when she was last there floating in her mind. She looked down at the spoon on the floor. Where were they?

"I have bad news," Urahara began. "As you probably already guessed, this is the apartment of Tia Harribel and Ulquiorra Cifer. It seems as though that last night, both of them were abducted and taken to Soul Society."

"This can't be…but…I know the reiatsu…" Rukia was bewildered.

Uryu asked, almost too nonchalantly, "How did they find out?"

Urahara looked up.

"That is what I am trying to figure out. Don't worry; I know none of you  _intentionally_  contacted the Sereitei. Yet, it seems almost too fishy. That has me thinking that they put a device on any shinigami that came here to spy and see if things were going back to normal for themselves. That is my guess, anyway."

"So what," Ichigo looked over to him, "there was a camera put on Renji?"

"There could have been," He acknowledged, "or it could have been Kuchiki-san that was bugged as well…"

The shinigami in question widened her eyes and shook her head.

"Impossible. I haven't felt nor seen a camera on me since I arrived, that couldn't happen…"

"Oh? Kuchiki-san, technology these days allows cameras to be extremely small and efficient. I wouldn't be surprised if you were bugged where you couldn't tell. Seeing as how Abarai-san left before these two got captured, I would say that there is a much better chance that it is on you, tell me, have you seen either of them at all lately?"

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Rukia spoke quietly.

"Yes…we saw him yesterday…"

At this Orihime turned her head toward Rukia, a baffled expression making its way. _No… 'we'? I was with him nearly all day after school…is that why they were acting so odd…? Does everyone know now?_

"Ah…that may be the ticket. You saw Ulquiorra-san yesterday, and if there was a camera on you, they would have seen him too."

Rukia shook her head, in a hysterical denial.

"No! How would they know it was him? And I never saw Harribel, so how could they get her?"

Urahara sighed once more.

"Well…that leaves me to deduce two things. One: the cameras can pick up reiatsu, and two: there was one on Abarai-san as well, as to whether he knew I am not sure."

Urahara reached into his jacket and pulled out an odd scanner that took the shape of a portable metal detector. Waving it over Rukia, a tinging noise started once he reached the base of her neck.

Reaching with his fingers, he plucked a tiny device off that turned black once it left her skin.

"So it can adapt as well…" Uryu was watching in amazement.

The scientist nodded his head.

"Yes…so it seems."

Rukia was horrified.  _It was my fault they're captured…but…I didn't know...how could I have not known?_

"This doesn't matter anymore." Ichigo decided, and everyone went silent.

"We have the evidence, this can't be considered completely legal, especially if the old Central 47 or whatever-"

"46" Rukia cut in.

"Close enough. If they didn't know about it than it can't be right. We are considered war heroes now, aren't we? We can just go over and tell them that they have it all wrong. The two are humans now and can't hurt a hell butterfly if they wanted to."

Tessai shook his head.

"Your words would fall upon deaf ears. Persuading Soul Society is easier said than done."

Orihime was one the verge of tears, but she wouldn't show it. She didn't care if they wouldn't let them go, she would get them – him – back by force if she had to. The girl couldn't bear to see him leave again. She spoke up.

"Either way, I will go."

Complete silence, and everyone turned to her in shock.

Uryu's eyes widened. "Inoue-san…"

She shook her head.

"No, I do not care what the odds are. I know they already thought I was a traitor before…so my word may not sway them at all…but I don't care. I'm going."

After a contemplative silence, Rukia stepped next Orihime and squeezed her hand. She knew what this meant for the redhead.

"Then I will go back as well. I know that I can try my brother; I'm sure he will not be happy to hear that his sister and lieutenant have been secretly bugged. I will help in every way I can."

Ichigo looked over to Chad and they nodded their heads; a silent agreement.

Ichigo looked up.

"Then we will go too."

Everyone turned to Uryu, who was looking down at the spoon and shaking his head.

"This won't turn out well…We would need to get multiple important people on our side and the chances would still be off…"

He sighed.

"But I suppose I will join you as well. You are going to need a strategy."

Urahara smiled. He didn't even need to recruit.

"Great! In that case, Tessai, Yoruichi and I will be working behind the scenes. We  _will_  save them from a terrible fate."

Everyone nodded their head. Once again, it was time to go to work.

_So much for summer._

* * *

Orihime was shaking on her bed, tears spilling down her cheeks. She had an hour before they left to take care of things. She didn't have to worry about family though; she really had none. She only had those who were helping with money and her friends.

She felt horrible for leaving him, horrible for letting him go so easily, and horrible that he might be taken away from her again.

All the girl wanted to do was hold him, and be held by him…the memories of that one night that she was wounded still had her shivering. Ulquiorra…she cared about him so much…and she decided that she wanted to be with him forever, no matter what will happen.

Together, they would survive everything.

She needed to get him back.

Orihime was shaking her head in despair before she suddenly felt a familiar reiatsu. Suddenly, before she could wipe her tears Rukia came bursting in from the window into her room. She smiled at her and walked over to the saddened woman, who was desperately trying to cover her face.

"Oh…Kuchiki-san…I didn't know you…were coming…"

Rukia sat next to her on the bed.

"Don't worry Orihime-chan. You don't need to cover your tears when you're with me."

The shinigami hugged her, and Orihime's eyes widened. She was about to ask why she was doing this when Rukia interrupted.

"I…I  _know_  about you and Ulquiorra…To tell you the truth, we all saw you yesterday at the bookstore and then at the movies…and…and I'm so _sorry_  that he was taken away from you again. It was my fault, the camera was on me…but ever since the beginning I knew there was something special about you two… and I'm sorry."

Orihime was too surprised to speak or move. After a moment, she hugged Rukia back and closed her eyes, tearing up a bit more.

"I-It's ok, Kuchiki-san! Please…it's not…your fault…it's just bad luck! And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it earlier…I thought everyone would ha-hate me…"

Rukia smiled.

"We wouldn't hate you! You were right with how they suffered long before the war; we tried to kill them as much as they tried to kill us! Don't worry…Orihime-chan…we will get them back!"

Orihime nodded and wiped her tears.

"We will! Thank you…Kuchiki-san…you always know what to do…"

Rukia got up and held her hand out, smiling again, and Orihime took it and got up as well.

After a moment, they left the room together and headed out to join the rest of the group, who were waiting at the corner of her house.

When the two women walked up to the group, Orihime smiled, and no words were spoken for a minute. Finally, Ichigo looked down, and then back up into her silver orbs.

"Orihime…we will get them back…I promise."

She looked in surprise once more.

"Oh, thank you, Kurosaki-kun!"

He nodded his head and smiled lightly, and that's how everyone knew that things were alright. You can't really stop feelings when they come over you, and no one wanted their innocent friend to have to live through a forbidden romance in tragedy along with everything else she had been through in her life. They all cared for her, and they all wanted her to be happy.

Along with this, they were innocent humans now, and justice needed to be served.

Once they arrived at Urahara's candy shop, they went underground and got prepared to go through the Senkaimon.

Standing in front of it, Orihime took a deep breath before jumping right into it, being followed by everyone else.

It was time to move.


	12. Background

_Damn it._

Ulquiorra sat, chained to a chair in a dark room that was supposedly next to Harribel's, and despite the circumstance he was very composed. He had come to realize his human limitations; however that couldn't stop him from wishing that he had his powers back. No one has spoken to him yet; no one has even entered the room yet, and he was left to his thoughts as always.

The tragedy of monotony can always be found in the mind.

So there he sat; breathing, thinking…understanding... Yes, he even understood why they captured him. He used to be the enemy, and he lost. He deserved to sit in that chair, and he would have been a fool if he thought he could just get away with it, no matter the woman's words.

Now he just had to wait and bide his time. Easy enough.

The ex arrancar's mind began to drift after a short while, and before he knew it, he was thinking about the hooded angel that kept appearing. She opened up the void to the human world, and right before he was captured, she appeared to him; terrifying and beautiful at the same time, a bloody heart in her hands.

_Her heart was in the palm of my hand._

Something celestial perhaps? There were always deeper things that the shinigami and hollow never dove into; the higher places after the second death.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and tried to envision the woman once more; only he could be so calm while chained to a chair. She had white wings…but there was something different about them…

Thinking even harder, it clicked. On each wing bore one black feather in the center of all the white. Most likely symbolic for a balance; as much as he knew the three worlds were meaningless, he had no right to say the same for heaven and hell, for he had heard stories of the crazy things angels and demons do to create a sense of imagery. She also wore a black hood covering her eyes and hair.

All the poor guy could see were her lips, always smiling softly, her nose, and her bare neck before the hood connected to the rest of the cloak. Secretive;  _someone_  was not supposed to know about her identity.

Every time after she left though, he found himself always thinking about his relationship with the Onna. Perhaps she was giving hints; it seemed she always appeared before him when something big was about to happen.

Before he could think any further, he heard a thud from outside the door along with a small creaking sound as it opened slightly.

He looked straight ahead of him at the door: no fear in his eyes, only a slight interest in what was going on, yet still a bit empty; as always. He suddenly saw a figure dressed in black slip through the door, footsteps without sound as it made its way up to him.

The angel? No…there were no wings…

Once he saw a slip of red hair from the bottom of the face mask though, he knew who it was. Ulquiorra was about to say something when he heard a soft whispering voice, feeling the breath against his ear. It was reassuring, strong, and so familiar.

"I will get you out of here, I promise. You have to wait though; I can't get you out now. Just wait for me."

His eyes widened greatly when he felt her lips against his cheek, it was a good thing it was pitch black or else someone would have seen his blush. It was her way of vowing: a kiss to seal the deal.

With that, she slipped out, the door closed, and he was drowned in darkness again for the time being.

She was here, _the fool, why can't she stay safe?_

But he could wait for her. He always will.

* * *

After entering the Sereitei, everyone went in different directions.

Rukia immediately went back to the Kuchiki Manor, intent on having a conversation with her beloved Nii-sama. As much as she feared and respected him, she had a job to do, and she knew Byakuya well enough by now. She would take this trip alone, and would stay behind the scenes under she reached his protection.

Chad and Uryu were to make their way to the famous three: Ukitake, Unohana, and Kyouraku. With them on their side, things might be a little easier. If not, it would still be better than three of the most powerful shinigami  _against_  them. The two were calmer than the rest, and with the right way of speaking, all the teenagers needed to do was get there first.

It was decided that Orihime and Ichigo should be together for this trip. Ichigo was considered at the time the most respected war hero from the group, and Yamamoto himself said that they owed him so much. Orihime would be able to protect him as he would her, and they would talk to Yamamoto himself.

It was a long shot, but it was their best shot.

* * *

"Orihime, if they catch you we have no chance-"

"I can't just keep them in the dark; I have to let them know!"

"This is insane!"

" _Everything_  is insane!"

"…"

Ichigo sighed and put his hand to his forehead. She wanted to break in  _before_  they even spoke to the leader? He knew she felt…strongly about him, but…

He looked over at her and saw something he never quite noticed before. There was pleading in her eyes, but there was more as well. Sorrow…Sadness…She was so desperate to at least see him again. He couldn't just say no to that…

"…Fine, but we need to be in and out. And we need to be disguised, just in case."

At this, she smiled and jumped up to Ichigo, hugging him. He sighed once more and wrapped his arm around her back. He whispered.

"I'm sorry…"

She looked up at him, confusion etched upon her face.

"I'm sorry that I…didn't notice before…"

Orihime smiled lightly again.

"Oh, don't be! It was my fault! I suppose I just couldn't handle how much things have changed…"

_I thought I loved you._

_I did love you._

_I absolutely adored you…_

_But…_

… _But through the despair I realized you would never be mine…_

_And now fate has changed once more…_

_Will I let it control me forever?_

_Something eternal, such as hope…was gone…_

Putting on a black mask with a horizontal strip cut out for the eyes, Orihime nodded, tucked her hair into her black shirt, and turned. Ichigo was close behind her with another mask, although it wouldn't really help with his giant sword…

After they ran to the outside of the prison (where Urahara assumed they would be), Orihime brought out her shield and turned it flat. Stepping on it, she hovered above the ground and motioned for Ichigo to do the same.

_Since when could she do that?_

It didn't matter now. He jumped up with her and they hovered up to a window with a light on before they went through. It looked like an office; a desk sitting directly in front of them with a stack of papers on the table, the main door closed. Ichigo picked up the top paper before whispering in a hurried voice.

"Here it is; Ulquiorra and Harribel are in rooms that are right next to each other on the detainee floor. We'll have to check all of the floors until we find them."

They didn't have to wait for long. One floor up, and they heard slurred voices talking about roughing "the hollow woman" up; the two men up there were most likely drunk. Before they could enter Harribel's room, however, Ichigo ran up to take care of them…well…attempted anyway.

Before he could reach them, a golden light rocketed from Orihime's hairpins and knocked the men both unconscious. Orihime turned around toward a baffled Ichigo and put a finger up to her lips, a sign to keep quiet, before she slipped in one of the doors. Ichigo waited outside and kept guard, and after a short moment, the redhead was back in the hallway.

Next was Harribel. Orihime went to grab the handle of the door she assumed to be the ex arrancar's when she suddenly heard a voice in there, a voice much different than the woman's. They had to go.

"Shit!"

The teenage girl turned around and shook her head to Ichigo, who in return nodded and grabbed her arm before jumping out of the big window at the end of the hallway. They needed to get to the 1st Squad barracks as fast as possible.

* * *

Harribel was trying to relax in the chair; easier said than done.

All she wanted to do was live as a human and try living again. There were so many questions she wanted to know, such as what happened to the place who hired her as an assassin in her first human life, and more importantly, what became of her child?

But no, her other enemy got to her first, and she wasn't even fighting them anymore. She sighed, supposing that live and let live was out of the question.

She was trying to meditate for a moment when the door opened, bringing in a nasty light that her eyes were not used to. After adjusting, Harribel looked up to see a dirty looking, drunken shinigami standing in front of her, a grin on his face.  _Great, exactly what she wanted to deal with._

"Ooh hey thereee-having fun…?"

Definitely drunk.

She glared at him; he smiled even more and took another step.

"Well well, that's no fun, a detainee is supposed to answer as a prisoner…I may have to rough you up…"

He leaned over her and she could smell his breath,  _disgusting._

She wouldn't be moved by the likes of him, and as a trained assassin in both the human and hollow world, she was prepared despite being chained to a chair.

The man was lifting his hand up, about to touch her breasts when she kicked her right leg up quickly in the air and, not only kicked him, but released the blades she had been hiding under a garter just in case. The knives flew from the garter into his stomach, and the man was lying on the floor in an instant, bleeding profusely.

" _Bitch!"_

Her face never changed from that glare as she eyed him down. Fear was evident in his eyes when it struck him that he was dying, and slowly he started to make his way to the door, crawling out before his ankle caught on the door and closed it shut, bringing back the dark.

She could only assume he died.

* * *

Alright, so they couldn't get to him until morning. Perhaps that was better for them; he needed to sleep on it.

_Yeah Right._

Well, they didn't have a choice  _now_. Ichigo and Orihime waited in a meadow near the first squad barracks; it seems they would have to spend the next 8 hours there. Of course, upon their arrival to the first squad, no one was there to even send a message. It seems that even the Soutaichou needs his sleep. Orihime hoped he felt guilty as hell.

So there they were, exhausted and thinking of how they were going to approach the stubborn man the next morning.

After a little while, they both decided that they weren't going to get anywhere without sleep, so they rested their heads on the grass and tried to slumber; at least it was too hot for a need of blankets. Finally, Ichigo's mind drifted off into dreams.

_He was in his room, the moonlight shown through the window between the curtains, shedding a light on his bed. There he was, just in front of the closed door with a full view of this familiar place. It smelled like him._

_The redhead took a step further, looking around to ease this odd feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. Finally deciding that nothing was necessarily off, Ichigo was taken by instinct and lied down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling._

_Suddenly, he saw a bright light from the corner of his eye, and a laughter that almost seemed familiar…_

_He turned his head immediately and saw a woman standing where he recently was. She seemed harmless yet powerful, but the aura around her was comforting…entrancing…_

_She walked over to him, and he saw a black cloak covering her head and body, with giant wings stretched behind her. That smile on her face…_

_She came up so close to his bed that her thighs were mere inches away from his face, and he looked up at her own partially covered face. Suddenly the angel bent down as parts of the cloak fell upon his shoulders; she was leaning over him, so close to his face. Her voice was but a whisper._

" _I shall reveal to you…what you have already seen…"_


	13. Revelation

_NO!_

_What is happening…?_

_Wait, wha- HE CAN'T SEE THIS!_

_Everything I've been…it has changed…no…how is he seeing it-_

_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON_

_I can't live if he sees this,_

_I'll be eternally ashamed…let alone humiliated…_

_No_

_But_

_Wait_

_What?_

_Orihime was viewing everything from her terrified silver orbs…_

_Ichigo was seeing everything…_

_She was viewing his room, and he was lying on his bed, eyes closed…But she knew what it was that he was dreaming of…for she could see it as well._

_It was a playback of what she thought would be her last moment with him…_

… _Orihime was professing her love to Ichigo Kurosaki, before she was kidnapped…_

_As much as she believed this to be a dream, something unordinary made her know that he was at least having the same dream…the same vision…But who was showing this to him?_

_She couldn't move, couldn't shout, couldn't stop anything. She was forced to just watch what was unfolding in front of her._

* * *

_Orihime…is this real?_

_He was watching in front of him as Orihime popped in through the window, going right through it…_

_Ichigo couldn't really think, he was just entranced by the view in front of him…wait a minute…his wounds…his sisters…_

_This must be the night Orihime disappeared._

_So she_ did  _visit me…she actually healed my wounds…_

_But…_

_Suddenly he saw her go down to kiss him, healing his hands while doing so, unknowingly, his eyes widened once more. But she couldn't do it, and her tears fell upon his face…_

' _So that's what I felt the next morning…'_

_Ichigo stopped, and started to listen to what she was saying, his eyes growing wider and wider with each_ _word, his heart aching for her unknowingly._

"…Then I could be born in five different towns…  
…and eat five lifetimes worth of food…  
…and have five different jobs…

…and…

…fall in love with the same guy…  
…five times…"

_His eyes widened, what was she saying?_

"Arigatou, Kurosaki-kun…"

_He held his breath…_

"Sayonara."

_She just…she just expressed that she loved him…'Orihime loved me…'_

_With that, she smiled a heartbreaking smile, and vanished…_

* * *

_Orihime couldn't breathe at this point…she was just standing there, terrified._

_She looked at Ichigo, whose eyes were unnaturally widened as he stood very, very still._

_Before she could move, however, she noticed the fellow red head turn slightly in her direction, his eyes meeting her own silver ones…_

_That look…_

* * *

With a jerk upright, Orihime woke up to find Ichigo slightly moving, being released from the "dream" as well…

'Was that real?'

Ichigo opened his eyes, a sad expression on his face as he turned his head toward her from the ground. Orihime shook her head hysterically and bolted, she needed to get away from him at all costs. Since they were in a nearby meadow, she ran for the forests.

"Orihime!"

Ichigo got up quickly and ran after her, a million thoughts scattered through his brain, such as whether he should even go after her, or what he would say to her. But instinct took over, and before he knew it, he entered the dark forests, treetops blocking out the sunlight.

" _Orihime!"_

After thirty more seconds of running, Orihime took a quick turn to lose him, but ended up falling over one of the thousand large roots that made the forest an army workout to get through. Ichigo stopped short, sliding over to her and going on his knees in front of her.

"Are you ok?"

" _Don't look at me!"_

He froze, never before had he seen her like this. She was covering her face with her arms weakly, her mental breaking point taking over her physical form. She seemed uninjured…physically, at least.

"Orihime…I'm sorry…I saw it, I saw everything, and I know you were there too…"

He was panting, tired from sprinting and his less than restful slumber. His eyes were pleading, almost as sad as hers. Orihime lowered her arms slightly, the despair pouring out of her large silver eyes. Her voice was nothing more than a sad whisper, crackling with sorrow.

" _I'm sorry…It was a hard time…I thought I would never see anyone again…_ _Please…forget everything I said…"_

His voice was oddly soft.

" _I'm_  sorry, Orihime, I'm sorry…I never would have thought…I was ignorant…I never…guessed…"

" _It's alright if you hate me now, if you don't want to be around me…I understand…"_

"Stop it, I could never hate you, you're one of my best friends…there were just…so many things I didn't know about you…"

Orihime rested her head against the bark of a tree, weary, listening to his words but with a pinch of doubt. Ichigo kept going.

"Besides, the past is the past…and now we have to save Ulquiorra, who means the world to you, right?"

She nodded her head and spoke a little louder this time...

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

Ichigo had enough of this. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled her in against his chest and put his head on top of hers.

"Stop saying sorry, because you have no right to be."

Orihime inwardly sighed at being so close to a past love;  _you're killing me…_

After a couple minutes, they rose and started walking back to "camp" to start making their way to Yamamoto. Getting some life back in her, Orihime smiled very lightly and spoke, getting Ichigo's attention again.

"Besides, I would hate to steal from Rukia…"

He blushed a thousand pinks and stuttered the whole way back.

* * *

"Well, well, this doesn't sound like something that Yama-jii would consider yielding with…"

Kyouraku was sitting back with a bottle of sake, thinking about what two teenagers had just told them. Ukitake, sitting next to him politely with his legs crossed nodded his head, agreeing.

"He is a very stubborn man. Just because they are humans now doesn't mean he will be any easier on them, besides, he has to already know by the lack of reiatsu. It didn't seem to stop him."

Chad sighed.

"But is there no way for him to be persuaded? What about Central 46?"

"Those old shinigami have had years of trouble and ignorance, for they are reliant on 'past experience'." Kyouraku shook his head. "They are even less likely."

There was a small moment of silence, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Uryu decided to make sure  _they_  weren't in danger by confessing this.

"And what about you two? Do you believe in their…innocence?"

Ukitake turned to Kyouraku, who nodded, and back to the Quincy.

"We…think that they should be left alone for their want of a second chance. They did terrible things during the war, but your logic makes sense. In the end, they really had no choice, plus their years of suffering earlier. The shinigami hurt and killed as well."

Kyouraku's turn.

"I suppose in the end, you guys know innocence, and that might bring everyone back. You are all war heroes, you know…"

They gave a sigh of relief, and Ukitake looked out the window to see the morning sun rise over the Sereitei. It seems there was another slight problem they needed to take care of.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THAT THERE WAS A BUG ON ME?"

"…NOT THAT KIND OF BUG, YOU IDIOT!"

Rukia's first move was to tell Renji that he had a camera on him during his stay in the real world. Her wrong choice of words slightly startled him a little however while he was on his way to the sixth squad barracks.

"I mean you had a camera on you when you were on earth! Soul Society "bugged you" so they could spy!"

"What? Nonsense, I didn't feel a thing and-"

"They were extremely small cameras, I was bugged as well, and now Yamamoto Soutaichou has two innocent civilians in captive."

"But why would he take two humans from the real world unless they were something more?"

Rukia sighed. She couldn't keep him in the dark forever.

"Renji…I didn't tell you this because I wanted to keep you safe as a lieutenant…but…"

Renji stopped in his tracks.

"Well spit it out weirdo!"

"Two of the espada in Aizen's army were given a second chance and reincarnated into humans! They integrated into society well and we wanted to help them!"

Rukia whispered everything in the hopes that he would hear it; she didn't want the rest of the world to know. But Renji heard every word, and went very  _very_  still.  _The bartender was one of them._

"Are you telling me that you allowed two hollows to live a normal life?"

"We figured they didn't really have a choice, being under Aizen's control with the Hogyokou and all…plus their centuries of suffering earlier…Besides, right now they are innocent human beings and deserve to be treated as such!"

Renji sighed. He didn't know how he felt about this…after everything they did…some of her logic didn't quite make sense. Even Urahara though was backing them up…

"Rukia…I don't know how I feel about this…but all I know is that if any of my friends become endangered, I will fight to protect them. You are my best friend. I will be there for you, but I am not sure if you can count on me for everything."

Much to his surprise, Rukia gave a sigh of relief and smiled at Renji, gratefully.

"That is all I needed to hear! We are doing everything we can, and the last thing I want is for you to be put in danger of losing your position or worse…"

With that, she hugged him and ran back to the manor where she had begged her brother for a private discussion the night before. After a bit, he finally decided that he would meet with her back at the manor for lunch for whatever Rukia felt so adamant about.

Renji gave a confused expression, which was turning into his normal one, and went back on his way to the barracks, ready to just train and get his mind off of things.

* * *

There was a call for an immediate Captain's meeting that night, one for a very special topic. Ichigo and Orihime reached the first squad, but as soon as they asked Yamamoto about current events, the old man's stubbornness worked its way through once more. Finally, after an argument and two relentless teenagers, he decided to have a captain's meeting where the two of them were invited to see what everyone else thought. Yamamoto had no doubts that the majority of captains would be on his side, anyway.

Waiting in his usual spot by his chair, he stood stoically and waited for the captains to file in.

It didn't take long until all nine other captains took their places with their usual expressions.

"Good evening. As you must have guessed, this meeting is of significant importance with a newly found anomaly that must be discussed. A few nights ago, a few members apprehended two interesting humans with strange auras. These humans were classified and identified as former espada of Aizen's army. We have captured Tia Harribel, 3rd ranking Espada, and Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th."

Sounds of gasps and expressions of shock took over the room at the sound of the news. Three of the captains, however, were already keyed in on the details. The Soutaichou spoke once more.

"We also have two guests here that we owe our attention to on the subject for their actions in the war itself."

With that said, Ichigo and Orihime walked into the room, solemn expressions on their faces as they prepared for what was to come. They needed to do their job, and they needed to do it right.

All heads turned towards them as they stood on the other end of Yamamoto.

Soul Society was either with them or against them.

… _Right?_


	14. Around the Clock

_Tick Tick Tick_

He heard from the outside about an emergency captains' meeting. Sighing, he thought that the fate of the two ex arrancar were to be decided tonight.

…He wished it would take less time…

…Well, actually, that wasn't quite true. He could live with an eternity in thought, even when he is tied to a chair. He rolled his eyes at the thought of others deciding his fate anyway.

Then the Onna popped once more into his mind, which didn't really shock him, he was used to the occurrence. Ulquiorra slightly wondered what type of trouble she was getting herself into now.

She would never cease to amaze him.

Nearly everything he was once sure of, she had made him second guess. Nearly everything he thought set in stone, was now up in the air. All because of her inability to accept life as it was.

The poor man closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts and relax, which was never such a problem before. He wondered how Harribel was doing in the next room, yet he knew she could handle herself.

Ulquiorra supposed it was all a matter of time, now.

* * *

"Now, the question is, what will we do with such threatening beings?"

Momentary silence as Yamamoto's words once again filled the air. _Threatening?_

"If I may speak, sir, I would hardly call them threatening."

Orihime spoke up, confident and exasperated at how he would call humans a threat to Soul Society. He glanced over to her.

"I believe you are biased however, miss Inoue-san. We have proof that you were rendezvousing with the male, so how could we trust that you are thinking logically?"

Widened eyes followed those words. She couldn't believe he would bring it to that level. Ichigo shook his head and defended her.

"Look, wouldn't that mean she knows them better than anyone else? You know their reiatsu is just a little stronger than an ordinary human's."

"She could be under a spell, and-"

"It is enough to know that not only were they back, but their reiatsu was stronger in the first place."

Soifon, always the tough punisher, could not believe that the enemy had returned. The answer was obvious, to her. They needed to kill them.

Unohana smiled.

"Yes, Soifon Taichou, that is a matter of importance, however there are other questions to think about, such as why are they back? Perhaps they have chosen to become human for a second chance."

Soifon glared and looked down.

Komamura looked up at the fourth squad captain.

"But should we give it to them? This is quite outrageous, they were our enemies."

Ukitake was hesitant throughout the conversation; he didn't want to automatically get on Yamamoto's bad side for this, but he didn't want to let him hurt the humans anyway.

"Well…I suppose it would be a matter of forgiveness…we hurt and killed in the war as well, and now they are just innocent humans. So long as they take that opportunity to do good and stray from the bad things, why not just live and let live?"

"You should bring them to me, so I can experiment on how they became humans!"

Arguments automatically broke out, and chaos ensued.

Save for just a few captains, everyone was yelling over what to do, whose side they were on, etc etc.

It wasn't until a few minutes later when Yamamoto hit his staff to the ground to create a terrifying bang.

"Enough."

Everyone went silent.

"We must deal with this with urgency and an iron fist. An example of what happens when one declares war on the Sereitei."

Yamamoto declared his idea, but Kyouraku responded immediately.

"Ah, but Yama-jii, will we be respected more on being kind to those who decide on a second chance?"

"…Yamamoto Soutaichou."

Byakuya was getting too annoyed for this, eyes closed, trying to relax. He was one of the captains that remained silent throughout the meeting so far, and he knew that no one would win with opinions alone. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and looked over to the sixth squad captain. Byakuya opened his eyes and looked over at the commander.

"I have reason to believe that my lieutenant and sister were bugged to get information on the humans in question. Is this true?"

"…Yes. We needed to make sure of the facts, so once an unranked officer brought the issue to my attention, I sent Renji Abarai down to unknowingly investigate. Camera's were put on Rukia Kuchiki for obvious reasons in the beginning to see how things were in the town after the war."

"I never received a request however, for such things to happen with not only my own lieutenant, but my own sister as well."

"It needed to be done, Kuchiki Taichou."

"And yet, it is illegal for such things to be done without permission of Central 46 at least, if the captain of the shinigami's particular squad did not know of the incident. Would I be wrong in saying that  _they_ would be the ones to decide their fate if they knew about this?"

Silence again. Yamamoto sighed.

"There was a reason for this to be done without the immediate attention of the Central 46. We needed to be sure of what they were before we got their permission or declaration for any further action. I believed we would decide here and then bring the information to them afterwards."

Suddenly Ichigo stepped forward.  _Click._

"Wait, how would you even keep this silenced? If this is against the law, haven't you made a large mistake by bringing it up to the captains?"

Yamamoto hit his staff to the ground again.

"I originally believed that the captains here would know enough to agree and keep things silent, however, now I am forced to  _make_  things discreet. If the Central finds out about this, I will know who it was, and they will be punished for treason. As for the two in question, it might be best if we get rid of the problem now."

"NO!"

Orihime couldn't believe what she was hearing. Get rid of them, just like that? He couldn't do that…It had to be a bluff, with all the legal trouble he would be getting into…

"She's right, Yamamoto sensei, this is an outrage!"

Ukitake also couldn't believe the severity of his words. This extreme of actions?

"You all heed my warning, do not speak of this in public, or severe punishment will be given. This meeting is adjourned and you all are dismissed."

Wait, he didn't even say what he was going to do! How confused was this man?

Ichigo and Orihime looked at each other in shock.

_Now What?_

* * *

_Well, that was easier than expected…_

Harribel was standing up right outside the room, rubbing her wrists now that the chains were off. It felt good to stretch her legs.

Some may be wondering how this once bound human woman was outside her prison with knocked out guards at her feet, yet the answer is not quite extraordinary. Despite going back to being a human, she still remembered old methods of both fighting and getting out of bad situations when she was an assassin.

Here were Harribel's 5 full proof steps to getting out of a guarded prison cell.

1\. Make a ruckus.

2\. Say you have female issues, getting a woman guard.

3\. When she gets close enough, kick her in the stomach and knock her out.

4\. Grab a bobby pin from her hair and unlock the cuffs.

5\. Know how to fight to get away from the other shinigami.

Simple.

Now, the question was what she would do once freed. Obviously free her "brother", but then where would they go? Suddenly she heard footsteps racing her way, and she instantly got in a defensive stance, ready for whatever would come.

As the steps got louder, a figure could be seen running around the corner, red hair whipping around it.

Harribel smiled as she saw Orihime come her way. The teenager had widened eyes as she stopped short by the older woman.

"Harribel-san! How did you get out?"

"I have my ways, Orihime-chan. Why are you here again? Won't you get in trouble, and where is the boy?"

Orihime was panting from sprinting before she finally spoke.

"The Captain Commander has lost it! He's threatening anyone who would talk about this in public and was contemplating just killing you now! We need to get out of here! I don't know if Kurosaki-kun knows where I am, I kinda just ran away here before I could waste more time…"

Harribel's eyes widened at this, but she wasn't surprised; she was used to crazy actions took by those in power.

Orihime turned around toward Ulquiorra's door as even more footsteps came rushing to the scene.

"INOUE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Oh! He did follow me! Harribel-san, go with Kurosaki-kun and go back to the meadow, I will get Ulquiorra out and meet you there!"

"But how-"

"No questions please, Kurosaki-kun! I will be fine! Just go!"

Harribel nodded, having faith in her powers as a god and grabbed Ichigo's arm.

"She was taken in by Aizen for her powers that trespassed God's, you must trust her! Take me to the safe spot so I can contact Urahara!"

She whipped out the phone the scientist gave her a while back and ran out with Ichigo, leaving Orihime to her own devices. She ran for his door.

* * *

_Tick Tick Tick_

_How long is an eternity?_

Before he could ponder any further, the door to Ulquiorra's room opened halfway, allowing in a certain red haired teenager that changed his world. He looked her up and down as she ran over to him, she wasn't even disguised.

"Onna, what are you doing, what is going on?"

"Ulquiorra! I'm so sorry I left earlier, and I'll explain everything, I promise, but right now we have to get out of here!"

She began to undue his handcuffs linked to the metal chair with her own hair clip, leaving a shocked ex arrancar in his seat, wondering what the hell was happening. After a few seconds, one hand was free, and she began to work on the next. Suddenly he heard noises from outside the room.

"Damn it, this one is harder to get!"

Ulquiorra's voice may have sounded calm, yet underneath he was nearly shivering from anticipation, a strange feeling growing in the put of his stomach.

" _Orihime_ , you might want to hurry up…"

"I know, I have this! Hold on!"

Another few seconds went by…

_Tick Tick Tick_

"They are coming closer…"

"I'm almost there!"

The feeling of something uncontainable was getting more powerful, and Ulquiorra found himself trembling with this feeling that he couldn't sit still as the voices and footsteps grew louder quickly.

"Orihime…"

"Done!"

With a click, the cuff snapped open, freeing Ulquiorra completely from his confinement.

Not a moment too soon was he released, for the second he ripped his hand free the door slammed the rest of the way open, revealing a few shinigami with their swords out.

"There has been a security breach! Everyone, attack the enemy, get them under control and unable to move!"

They all ran forward, and as one went to grab Orihime Ulquiorra suddenly stood up, pulled Orihime to his chest and pointed his finger at the group, releasing the pent up energy that had him going and in the process creating a green cero that blasted everyone back. Orihime gasped.

"Since when did you get your powers back?"

"I have no idea, but this didn't kill all of them, let's go."

He muttered that sentence with urgency as they ran out of the room and past the guards, Ulquiorra having a death grip on her hand.  _He would never let go again._

They ran as fast as they could down the hallway, but as soon as they turned to the left for the stairs, they narrowly missed throwing knives as they pelted against the wall. Orihime turned back for a split second to see someone she assumed from the secret corpse coming their way, with more knives on hand. She heard more voices yelling from far back.

"Hey, you heard the orders! Keep the original ryoka alive, only aim for the two prisoners!"

" _Sting All Enemies To Death, Suzemebachi!"_

Orihime gave another bolt of speed. Soifon would be the first to try and get them.

"She's the captain of the secret corpse! We need to get out of here!"

"You're not getting away!"

Suddenly Ulquiorra stopped short, yanking Orihime back to him as the second squad captain flash stepped in front of the couple.

_Shit._

Backing up slowly, Soifon moved forward with her zanpaktou on her middle finger, glimmering, a smirk on her face.

"Girl, you were given a chance to simply come with us, I suggest you leave him and accept imprisonment. As for the other…"

Another shout, and out of nowhere there was a much taller and more defined figure blocking the captain. Dust from seemingly nowhere blew out of the way, and long purple hair became visible as a familiar werecat held the poisonous stinger in between her two hands.

"Soifon!"

"Y-Yoruichi…sama…"

Turning her head, the older ex shinigami smiled.

"You two take your chance and get out of here!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

Running back the other way, Ulquiorra found a window in the hallway big enough for them to fit, so with a powerful jump, he took the brunt of the hit as the glass broke around him, jumping through the window and out the building. Orihime quickly activated her Soten Kisshun, creating a barrier around them as they fell safely to the ground, all the while healing Ulquiorra's shoulder from the broken glass.

Wasting no time, the couple sprinted away from the chaos and into the woods nearby, hand in hand.

... _Tick Tick Tick..._


	15. In the Midst of Battle

_It was like a scene from a war…_

_Fire, shooting everywhere. The clanging of swords, meeting all around you. The shouting, the yelling, the commanding, replacing every other sound as you run, frazzled._

_It was a little different from the type of war he had come to know from Hueco Mundo, the girl at his side sprinting with him to escape it. The woman, who should have lived her life normally…purely, being forced to witness the horrors of fighting once more, was something that killed him inside._

_Running around any threatened area, every area in which was a battle going on, and going to any spot where the Onna knew would lead them to a safe spot was slightly terrifying, and he wished now more than ever that he still had his power that could protect her._

_Ulquiorra thought this was just another bad dream, but no matter how many times he tried to wake up, it was to no avail; the same scene kept unfolding before him, again and again._

_Her voice awakened him once more._

"This way!"

Orihime dragged him to the left as they bolted into another forest, positive that they would be safer through here. She couldn't believe what had broken out so quickly.

As soon as they started running, another smaller group from the first squad began to surround them. Orihime put up her barrier and started shooting the bombs, but they just kept coming…

They thought this would be the end until they suddenly heard a "Howl, Zabimaru!" and saw Renji jump in front of them, taking out the group with his extended zanpaktou as he smiled at them and told them to run. As they went away, Ulquiorra could have sworn he heard him say something along the lines of "that is the last time someone puts a camera on me and gets away with it!"

He kept running.

* * *

"Ukitake Taichou, Kyouraku Taichou!"

"What is it?"

Ukitake answered urgently to the panting officer at the door of the room they were planning in along with Chad and Uryu, who couldn't believe what they were told about the meeting. The officer looked up.

"Chaos has started by the prison behind the first squad building! There was a sighting of the espada humans escaping along with Orihime Inoue, and all of the squads began fighting each other at the direction of the other captains!"

"What?"

Kyouraku sighed, before looking to everyone.

"Well, it looks like we can't just let this one be, now can we?"

Uryu chimed in.

"We need to go out there now!"

Ukitake nodded before grabbing his sword and giving directions to the officers. It was time to go.

* * *

"Sir, a battle has broken out by the first squad prison between several squads, and the humans in custody have escaped!"

Byakuya was in the midst of taking one of his night walks, thinking over things and what he was supposed to do now. He raised an eyebrow at the guard who ran over to him and bowed, telling him the latest news.

"And what of Rukia?"

"I believe another guard felt her reiatsu leave here recently too, we think she went over there."

"…"

He sighed and looked up at the moon.  _On such a beautiful night too…_

* * *

Suddenly, Ulquiorra and Orihime saw a group from the twelfth squad (and they could tell because of the scientific equipment they lagged with them) running toward them to "collect the human espada". Before they could even react, however, Rukia came down and turned them all into ice. Ulquiorra dragged Orihime away, doing everything he could to protect her, even though at this point she was more the powerful.

And yet there was  _another_  disturbance. Someone from the group had gotten away and had unleashed a powerful "Mayuri Patented Bonding Spray" at the two, spraying super strong string like spray at the couple that held them together. So here they were now, unable to move as the same person turned around a pointed their laser shooting zanpaktou at Rukia's back.

Quite the predicament, if only Rukia had  _not_  been occupied with three other fighters at the moment to notice.

As the sword lit a bright green color, saving the energy needed to fire, a strange noise was made, as though it was just about to fire. Orihime screamed Rukia's name, but the sword blasted a bright light rapidly speeding toward her as she turned around, eyes instantly widening. There was no time to react. Suddenly-

"Chire, Senbonzakura."

Thousands of pink bladed petals raided into the moving light, disintegrating it to nothingness as skilled hands chopped the neck of the attacker, knocking him out.

"Nii-sama!"

A few petals had strayed, breaking the bond that held the couple together, yet before Orihime could thank him properly; Byakuya's back was completely turned, striding away. It was as though he didn't want to say aloud that he was letting them free.

Things were getting too strange…who was on their side? Who was against them? What do they do now?

Ulquiorra especially had been feeling very strange…Ever since he had fired the cero, there had been something growing within him, something he couldn't explain…

"Come on Ulquiorra, we need to get out of here!"

He looked up at Orihime, who was looking curiously at him as she tugged at his wrist. This was not the time to be feeling odd, so he tried his best to shake it off and keep running. Orihime hesitated for a split second as well, worried about him, before following his lead. She spoke again.

"I wish we could fight though, I feel so bad…"

Ulquiorra couldn't help but agree; he didn't like other people fighting his battles, especially when he lost his power.

They kept running.

* * *

"Oh my god…"

"This is quite the nuisance…"

Ukitake and Kyouraku had just gotten to the war zone, standing in complete shock at what was unfolding. Everyone had lost it!

Uryu and Chad came running in from behind, Uryu in his cape and arrow, Chad with his weaponized arm. They had to find their friends. The two captains were looking for anyone that could stop this, for even they didn't know how to calm down such a chaotic scene. Where was Yamamoto? There were barely any captains around from their point of view. A war between shinigami? What was the world coming to?

The two older captains ran off to find someone, some way, to fix this mess of a field. Chad and Uryu, on the other hand, went directly into battle, not fighting unless they were targeted and on a mission to find who they came here with.

They were surprised that they could see anything, through all of the madness and battling…it seemed as though everything was shrouded in fire.

* * *

Seconds felt like centuries, with every step the two took, it felt as though they had used up the last of their strength, only to have to take another step.

They ran out of forests, and they were stuck in the battle field as the number one target. For humans, they were both very athletic, so quick steps and evading were easier to them, but it didn't make their mental state any better.

Ulquiorra still grasped Orihime's hand like a vice, and Orihime was getting very tired from the constant running and use of her barrier/bombs. The woman didn't feel like they would make it much longer.

 _But we have to…we_ have  _to…_

Having no idea when or even if this would end, or if they would wake back up in the human world from this nightmarish hell, the couple ran and dodged what felt like hundreds of attempts to make them fall.

It barely felt real when Ulquiorra was grabbed and ripped from Orihime's grasp…

* * *

"We must have searched this whole goddamn field! They aren't here!"

"I can feel their reiatsu, we need to keep looking."

Uryu and Chad were still running around the battle scene, with no signs of anyone.

Out of nowhere, Chad saw a ninja from the second squad jump behind the quincy, ready to attack. Instantly, he pushed Uryu out of the way before punching the man back a few hundred feet with his armed fist. Uryu sighed as he shot more arrows at other attackers.

"What are we going to do no-"

"NO!"

With that, the two teens whipped their heads to the sound of the terrifying shriek that sounded so familiar to them. Chad shouted to Uryu.

"Is that-"

"Orihime!"

They found her, standing in the outskirts of the battle as she stared up in shock at Komamura's bankai who was holding Ulquiorra firmly in the air. From the distance they could only hear a little of what the captain was saying.

"If Genryusai-dono wants to have you so badly, then perhaps I can give you to him in a less belligerent way…"

The two ran for their friends.

* * *

"NO!"

Orihime was in complete shock as the justice centered captain abducted the man she loved without her being able to stop him.  _They were so close too…_

She heard his resolve, and as the large version of the captain squeezed Ulquiorra, something in her started to bubble. After a short moment, Ulquiorra was knocked out by the grasp and now lay limp in his fist. Orihime's despair mixed with her sorrow, her shock, her anger and her love, and suddenly she wasn't Orihime anymore…She felt something invade her before she gave into the emotions…and now…

She was an angel.

* * *

"That…that is…"

"Inoue-san….!"

The two teens stood in utter shock and awe as their beloved redheaded friend flew into the air with gigantic white wings with a black feather in the center of each of them.

It looked a bit different from Orihime though…Yes, she had the long red hair and wide eyes…but now she was wearing a black cloak, hood down. The cloak was separated at her chest, and one could see a painful red scar over where her heart should be.

It was like a sadistic fallen angel version of Orihime Inoue.

"What is that…?"

Uryu couldn't believe what he was seeing. Suddenly a gentle white light sprang forth from her figure and swept over the whole field, blanketing everyone with her calming aura.

" _Enough."_

The violence had momentarily stopped as  _everyone_ looked up at something they had never seen before. Komamura could barely even look at the angel looming over him. Her voice was soothing and simply beautiful as she stared down at him, making him shrink under her gaze.

" _Let him go…"_

And he did. The large masked figure placed the unconscious ex arrancar to the ground before the light faded back into the night sky.

Orihime dropped down slowly, her wings taking a large sweep to go down as she picked up Ulquiorra.

Now the omnipotent and gentle creature was on her knees, cradling him in her grasp as she muttered to herself.

"He is going through an internal struggle…he may soon have his powers back…"

She looked up at everyone, who was still staring at her in shock, before she suddenly saw a massive army coming from behind the field carrying a large sign with "Squad Zero" written in formal calligraphy.

All of the fighters followed her gaze, half of them immediately bowing down to the elite group that protected the king. Two of the guards flashstepped to where Angel Orihime was kneeling before speaking aloud in a voice everyone could somehow hear.

"No one is to touch these people. They are to go free on behalf of the Spirit King."

Hesitant, Orihime warily looked at the guards before standing up and greeting them.

"Thank you, I shall be going now…"

Suddenly one of the guards grasped her wrist, not allowing her to move as he spoke in a quiet voice.

"The king has told me to relay to you that the information you will seek can be given by the angel that invaded your body."

A confused expression fell upon her features, but she smiled and bowed her head nonetheless before speeding off far away to the safe spot, allowing the Squad Zero to calm the battle.

Soon, all of her questions will be answered.


	16. Moonlight

She ran and ran and ran until it felt as though her feet would bleed, and she would faint from exhaustion. Possibly the most unbelievable dream she thought she ever had, and it turned out to be real.

Finally, after reaching so far away in a meadow that she couldn't hear the battle and felt no spiritual pressure, Orihime collapsed on the ground, setting Ulquiorra down in front of her. The redhead could not use her new wings, for they would be too easily detected, and they didn't want to be found by anyone. Alone to wonder and question and figure out, Orihime planted her and her love in the safest area they could find, unable to find Ichigo or Harribel.

The woman watched Ulquiorra warily. Every once in a while, he would twitch, or groan, or make some form of movement that further proved his internal struggle. She wished she could be there in his mind with him; however she had a few other problems to deal with.

So many questions ran through the woman's mind. All of them centered on the most eloquent, "what the hell is going on?" Sighing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and suddenly felt that major reiatsu leave her, putting her back in her "old form".

Orihime, wingless and tired, opened her eyes and rested her gaze on the amazing sight in front of her. She could hardly contain her gasp, for right before her eyes stood a familiar looking angel with a scar over her heart. The same angel that overtook her.

Long red hair cascading down a black dress, wings outstretched behind her, she smiled down at the teenager with eyes that mirrored her own. Finally, after a short moment of sitting in awe, Orihime quickly stood up and whispered.

"Who… _are_  you?"

The angel smiled more and tilted her head to the side, and had nearly the same voice as Orihime's, but just a tinge deeper…full of sadness and wisdom.

" _I am you."_

Orihime's eyes widened.  _What?_

"No…what are you talking about…?"

" _I have been waiting for quite a while, Orihime, and it is a long story. In short, I am the celestial part of you that was separated when you became human, and I am the one who physically bears your sadness."_

Orihime let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and lowered her eyes to the scar over the other's heart.

"There was a time where I wasn't human…? There's no way I could have ever been an angel…"

The angel took a deep breath.

" _Orihime, have you ever heard of the story of Tanabata?"_

She vigorously nodded her head.

"Of course! Sora-nii said I was named after the spirit woman! The story was about how two lovers were separated by the Milky Way by the woman weaver's angry father, and could only see each other one night a year. There are festivals every summer."

" _Of course, and this story concerns you more than you know right now."_

Suddenly Ulquiorra shifted, and they both looked down at the figure for a moment. The angel started again.

" _The blunt truth is, long long ago, you were an angel during a time where romantic love was forbidden in Heaven, for there was a fear of its strength. You were respected, feared, and loved by all in Heaven, and you were also one of the most powerful. Orihime, you were the first woman angel created, and you devoted yourself to helping and taking care of those who deal with sadness and sorrow as you dealt with your own loneliness humbly. But there was someone else created at the same time. He didn't originally have a name, but after a very short time, he went rogue, not agreeing with many of the laws in place. Not one for emotion, he fled to the underworld after creating a war between angels."_

The poor young girl waited patiently, barely believing a word of this, yet knowing at the same time she should.

" _You were intrigued by the emotionless angel, however. Frequently, you secretly made trips to Hell and even Hueco Mundo to see him, who went by the name Ulquiorra after a while down there, the Lord of Hell. He started to soften only around you, and after a bit you two started to arrange secret meetings from the current Spirit King. One day, one of the more radical angels looked into your disappearances, and caught you in the act of meeting him. Telling the Spirit King at the time, the most royal being became angry and made sure you two would never meet, save one night a year. Secretly though, the King had looked into how to convert the fallen angel into a human, to eliminate him completely from stealing your attention."_

She took a momentary break, sighing at the memory as she lowered her gaze, and her voice softened slightly.

" _Well…the truth is, he figured out how to do something else. But you were smart, so you followed a group of angels after being suspicious and saw them overthrow Ulquiorra to Hueco Mundo as a lowly hollow (which ended up not going so well, for he became one of the most powerful). Enraged by such an atrocity, you quickly fled to try and save Ulquiorra against the King's orders, but you ended up on earth as a human. Only some of your power stayed with you, and I was forced from you as an 'angel counterpart'. And now we are here."_

A moment of silence passed for a while, both taking in their past into consideration as Orihime tried to put her thoughts into words. Her eyes were widened to the extreme, and she could hardly believe a word the angel said, but something in her new it was true.

"That…explains…a lot."

The two women snapped their heads in surprise at the man lying on the ground as a powerful reiatsu emanated from his being. Orihime immediately went on her knees over him, cradling his head in her arms.

"Ulquiorra! How are you feeling?"

He shifted slightly and looked up at Orihime, becoming lost in the depths of her eyes.  _She really is an angel…_

"Terrible, yet I believe I have won my power back…I…I am not sure, though, it was strange. It was as if I was fighting an inner demon, like my hollow. I…I _feel_  like I did before…"

Orihime smiled and bent down, hugging him.

"That is excellent news, Ulquiorra! I am so glad…Wait a minute…how long were you awake?"

Confusion spread across the woman's face as she nearly completely forgot about her angel self, or the first words that left Ulquiorra's mouth to begin with.

"Long enough to hear of our past…Though I find it extremely difficult to believe."

She smiled.

"Me too…but it must be real…the evidence…"

Orihime looked back up at the floating figure, still there in all her celestial glory.

"But…what do we do now?"

The angel gave a chuckle that sounded like chimes.

" _That is for you to decide. As for me, we will never be truly united as one once more until you die, but I shall be around, watching. Haven't you ever wondered why Ulquiorra came back to life?"_

"What, well...yes, so many times actually…but I was just glad he was back."

"I find it quite odd myself, to say the least."

Ulquiorra took his turn to speak his curiosity, waiting patiently for an answer.

" _I have to admit that I took a part in that. I read your heart, and after his death, a scar was placed over my own heart, like it was ripped out. After all this time, you sacrificed so much to save him, to be with him…I couldn't just let him die. Your desires are mine as well…we are the same person, after all. It was the strength of your love, Orihime and Ulquiorra. You made it happen."_

Ulquiorra was confounded.

"Love…"

Orihime blushed and lowered her head, a sign of humility. The angel turned away, her head turned to the side back at the couple.

" _You two are safe, I know it. For now, I shall take my leave. Orihime, memories may or may not come back slowly, but only after death will you remember everything. Do not fear, whenever you need your angelic powers, I will be at your call. You will not be alone, one way or another. Until next time…"_

With that assurance, the angel vanished. Orihime and Ulquiorra were left to the solace of the night in the meadow, alone, free to talk, free to not say anything, free to think.

Orihime laid down next to Ulquiorra, and turned her head to his as he turned his to hers. They were so close. Orihime's voice was but a whisper.

"Do you need me to heal anything?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head before opening them back up, and looking back into her eyes, his favorite thing to look at nowadays.

"I believe I am pretty much unharmed, thanks to you breaking me free."

She blushed and looked down.

"I'm sorry you were caught up in all of this…not a pleasant human experience…"

"No…but so much about the world is unpleasant, I find it more tolerable when I am around you, Onna. When I was battling myself inside, you were the light I knew was waiting for me, so I was able to not succumb."

She smiled, and dove into his arms, still on the ground, and hugged him close under the moonlight.

"That means so much to me, Ulquiorra…but you look the same though as you did when you were human, so does that mean you can only access the power?"

He paused, thinking about it as his hands hesitantly wrapped around her. It was so odd…a hug…at first he would have just pushed her off, but it wasn't just anyone. He kind of enjoyed her hugs…her aura was so calming.

"I suppose I can probably shoot ceros, but I would have to transform back in my Vasto Lorde form to use my sword."

She nodded her head, and then held him a bit tighter.

"I'm just glad you're alright…I'm so happy you are here…"

She paused, leant back so he could see her face as she bit her lip, nervous.

"There is something I have wanted to tell you, Ulquiorra. Please, just listen to me, the whole thing…I just need to get this out."

Ulquiorra hesitated and then nodded his head once, watching the moon and starlight pour over her, illuminating her figure. She truly was a beautiful creature.

"Ever since…ah, I don't even know when…probably since halfway through my imprisonment in Las Noches…I have felt a connection with you. At first, we were at completely separate beliefs of life, but as time went on, we both started to understand one another, and I started to feel an attachment to you. When you died, I know I already told you this…but when you died…I felt like my own heart was ripped out, despite how you were supposed to be my enemy; despite how you tried to kill my friends…I couldn't stand you not being there…I felt so guilty…"

With each word she said, her confidence grew and she spoke with more power behind her voice, save the crackle in it once in a while, on the verge of tears.

"I was so relieved when you came back…So…so happy, like my life was worth something again. I feel less worthless when I am with you, and I promised myself after you were abducted that the next time we were free to talk I would tell you this…ever since our first kiss…because even my powers in angel form set it in stone…I love you, Ulquiorra. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. You are my everything…I…I love you, damnit!"

She finished with a bang, nervous about what he would respond back with, but feeling relieved at the same time that she finally got everything out. She wanted his lips on hers again, she wanted to hold him and never let him go…she wanted him to love her back. Forever.

By the end, his eyes were widened greatly as he listened to every word she said. He paused for a short moment, wondering what to do, but he knew what he wanted. He always knew.

In an instant, he had her in his arms, on top of her as he brought her in for the deepest kiss either of them had ever imagined. Lovingly, he caressed her face as a thumb moved away the tear that spilt down her cheek as he nibbled lightly and licked her sweet lips. Lips greater than the most delicious wine. She kissed him back with equal fervor.

Finally, this is what it came down to. They loved each other, and after such a long time apart, forbidden, they ended up in each other's arms. They won the battle.

Ulquiorra came up slightly and looked her over, giving her a chance to breathe as he gave her one more kiss and brought her arms over her head. He spoke in a firm voice, with a little more passion than the usual indifferent voice.

"Orihime…you were always the one that made me relook at my thoughts, the one who dared to challenge me and the one who won my soul. I am yours for eternity, and though I never believed in emotions or the heart…it's yours. I  _love_  you, so much. You are the reason I am alive, and I devote my existence to you. I never want to hear you bad mouthing yourself…you are so strong, and  _you are not worthless_ …you are my angel. My beautiful angel…and I will never leave your side, even if you try to make me."

He kissed her again, and Orihime could barely contain her tears of joy and satisfaction as she soaked in the realization that he returned her love and feelings…that he was that devoted to her. He loved her, and she loved him, and that was all there was. She pulled back for the kiss and hugged him close to her, so that all of his weight was on top of her.

"This is the meaning I put on our lives. You love me, and I love you. That is the only meaning."

Ulquiorra gave a ghost of a smile and raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds alright to me, my love."

He rolled over so that he was next to her, on his side facing the beautiful angel he could finally call his. Silence followed, and only more words of devotion would be said that night as they fell asleep eventually in each other's arms. There was never a love so deep, so old in time, so pure…


	17. An Off Feeling

_The feeling of this woman in my arms…_

_The feeling of knowing that you are part of something greater than anyone…_

_A feeling of serenity as it passes by, the eye of a storm, before we get thrown back into the other half…_

_It feels…_

_Like the greatest nothingness…Like I am drowning in her aura…Like she is my whole world._

_There is no use in emotion, no use in acting on it._

_She is my everything, and I have decided to become her everything. If that is love, then so be it._

_The Onna is my lifeline._

* * *

Orihime opened her eyes slowly and yawned, awakening from a good night's slumber. With reality, she realized how she was laying on the grass, still weary from last night's revelations, and yet with a contentedness that washed over her as well. She moved to get up before feeling an arm around her waist, one that probably strayed there while they were asleep.

Still lying down, she turned her head to a pale long haired man with a serene expression on his face, a familiar man that both filled a void in her heart, tore it away, and then filled it again. She studied his face for a few moments, taking this rare opportunity to think about everything.

It all turned out well, right? Well…it wasn't quite over, there was still so much to deal with, so many more battles…But now, Orihime felt as though she could take on anything thrown at her, as long as he was near her.

Her initial super blush began to fade as she wondered what she would do next...what they would do next…

"Onna…just how long will you continue to watch me…?"

With the sound of his deep silky voice, she snapped back to reality and gained back her blush. She didn't even realize he had awoken? She looked into his forest green eyes and then down, almost embarrassed.

"W-Well…I suppose your arm is holding me here…"

His eyes widened slightly as he brought back his arm. They were still new at this. Ulquiorra's voice was soft.

"I apologize."

"No need to!" Orihime quickly cut in.

"It was…nice…"

They both looked at each other for about half a minute, not saying anything.

Orihime was about to say something else when suddenly they heard a shout.

"Inoue! Ulquiorra!"

The couple looked up to see Ichigo and Harribel running toward them, the former looking relieved.

"You guys are safe, thank god! You know we were looking for you all night! I thought you got caught up in the battle or something!"

Orihime smiled at Ichigo.

"O-Oh! Don't worry, I mean…we kind of were caught in it but everything's alright now!"

She thought she would save any new information about her or Ulquiorra's power for another time. Ichigo didn't seem to notice her hesitance.

"Good- wait, you were? Damnit, if only I had known and gone out there-"

"It's fine, Kurosaki, they are safe now."

Harribel's deep and soothing voice cut in before she looked back at the couple.

"I was able to come into contact with Urahara. He asked if we were all safe and then proceeded to tell me that we needed to get back to the human world. With squad zero's interference and the large battle that broke out last night, chaos has run amuck here. He said we needed to wait it out."

Orihime shook her head. "But, if we wait it out they will just come after us!"

"Yeah, they probably have the issues within the Gotei 13 to worry about before us."

Ichigo looked down in thought after speaking, before he looked back up again, determined.

"We need to find the rest of our group first. Then we will go back and wait, as much as I hate waiting…I can't see a way to fight through this…"

Ulquiorra was silent throughout the whole conversation, contemplating the odds of all of this happening.

Orihime whispered in a softer voice.

"I can still feel their reiatsus, we just need to follow them until we find everyone. How are we supposed to get back to the human world?"

Ichigo turned around a looked back.

"Urahara sent a device our way that can quickly open and close portals to the human world and back. Once we regroup, we will just have to use that."

Harribel nodded her head, ready to get out of the enemy's territory. She knew things were different now, yet she still couldn't shake the feeling of how Soul Society was supposed to be bad from when she was an Espada.

The couple got up and joined Ichigo and Harribel, and they all set on their way.

* * *

"But Nii-sama, what am I suppose to do?"

"You are to stay here in Soul Society; I cannot risk you being with them any longer until things are sorted out."

Rukia and Byakuya were in the manor, in the former's room. Once squad zero calmed the battle down last night, Byakuya was able to successfully reign in any rogue members of his squad before staying very late to calm down everything with the other captains. He hadn't slept or eaten yet, and his first concern was to secure the peace of the Sereitei. He met Rukia in her room to talk to her about keeping her in; her safety was also a top motive of his, after all.

"What will I do then?"

"Go about your duties how you normally would, your mission in the real world is officially over now, and you should be back anyway. You must lay low for a while so no one can say anything against you for being with them for this long. The last thing you need is to get in deeper trouble with the law  _again_."

That made her silent. She felt bad for being a bother to her brother when she was arrested and put on death row, although he never saw it like that. She looked down. Byakuya knew what he was talking about; being head of the Kuchiki Clan meant he dealt with matters of political affairs numerous times.

"I am sorry, Nii-sama, but how would I help?"

He sighed and looked off to the side, noting an old raggedy Chappy plushy on her bed. She never was one to completely fit in with the noble lifestyle, although he always found it quite amusing. Her valiant heart was one he was proud to have in the family.

"…You will help the situation by not talking about it to others for now. Diffuse it, lay low, and go about your duties. Otherwise, stay in the manor, and notify me before you do anything else. That is the only way I can still protect you. Do you understand?"

"…Yes, Nii-sama, thank you for your consideration."

Rukia lowered her head, sighing, not happy about this yet knowing it is what she needed to do. Byakuya stood there for another moment, contemplating as he watched her, before nodding and leaving her room. God knew how much work he had left to do.

Rukia lied back in her bed and curled up, not knowing what to do.

* * *

All of the shinigami in the Sereitei were bustling about in a frenzy. Yamamoto had left to Central 46 after a discussion with the head guard in squad zero, and the captains were doing their best to maintain order in his stead. With the ryoka gone momentarily, everyone followed orders in this stand still and did not go after them; after all, they had the Spirit King's protection. No one was treading into  _that_ territory.

As expected, the captains were extremely busy, and in some cases, quite irritable with the amount of stabilizing they had to do.

Uryu and Chad didn't even bother go back to Ukitake or Kyouraku, but instead tried to follow the reiatsu of their friends while not being seen in the streets. It was an off situation. Neither of them was actually wounded from the battle, but they were tired, nobody really got any sleep.

'Who needs sleep when you have war?' Uryu sarcastically thought to himself.

So there the two were, silently moving quite slowly through the outskirts of the Sereitei, tired, hungry, and wanting to just go home. Suddenly, Chad could have sworn he saw familiar red hair, and after quickly telling the quincy, they both jogged over to the source behind a few trees.

They both looked over the bush in front of them, expecting to see someone there.

Instead, a red spirit fox looked up at them, howling.

"…"

They sighed and kept moving.

* * *

Yoruichi looked at Urahara, very skeptical.

"Do you actually think this will work?"

Urahara sighed, looking back at his lifelong friend.

"We have no choice, and we have the evidence that indicates-"

"Do you remember the last time we were there? Kisuke, it wasn't pretty."

"I know it seems that they are impervious to reason, but you heard what happened with squad zero…"

She looked down, in contemplation. She couldn't believe they had the Spirit King indirectly on their side. There they were, underground in the Urahara shop, about to go in to Soul Society during this odd chaotic time.

Urahara continued, to prove his point further.

"Also, they have to follow what they say, what else are they going to do? Disobey? It wouldn't work out well for them."

Yoruichi sighed, knowing there was no other way.

"…Kisuke…For everyone's sake, I hope you are right."

He nodded, and they both stepped into the void.

* * *

Ichigo and co. made it the Kuchiki Manor without any sign of Chad or Uryu. They decided to at least get the one person where they knew could be located before searching for the others.

They were brought in by hesitant guards and led to a certain stressed captain, who was just on his way out to the barracks from assuring the elders that things were alright.

"Hey, Byakuya!"

Ichigo shouted out to him without any honorifics or formalities, much to his dismay.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, what are you doing here? Wouldn't you think it unwise to stay?"

"We were on our way out, and I was wondering if you have seen Rukia?"

Byakuya sighed, he saw this one coming.

"She is staying in Soul Society for her safety, until this mess is over. Her duties are completed in the human world, thus she has no reason to stay there."

Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion.  _He's taking her away from me?_

"But…Byakuya, we need her, wouldn't it be less safe for her to be here if she broke the law again?"

"…No, in fact, it is better for her to stay here. She has broken no law, really, but since she was a part in this small  _rebellion_ , I am having her stay here and lie low. I understand your concern; however there is nothing you can do as of right now. Go back to the human world, protect your friends. Things are shaken up here, and if you bide your time, it will get better."

Ichigo was about to protest when Orihime cut in front of him, placing herself in front of Byakuya as she gave a deep respectful bow.

"Thank you so much, sir, for keeping an eye on Rukia and for your words of advice!"

With that, she grabbed Ichigo's hand and dragged him out, with Harribel and Ulquiorra following, not daring to push their luck by saying anything. Byakuya was left watching their wake.

Once they left the manor, they went a back way behind the mansion to remain unnoticed. Ichigo turned around to Orihime, shaking his head.

"What was that for! We could have gotten her…!"

Orihime sighed.

"But Kuchiki Taichou was right. She is safer here; she should be with her  _family."_

Everyone heard her stress on the world 'family', yet no one understood why quite as well as Harribel, due to her past. Ulquiorra and Ichigo were simply reminded of the fact that she had none, really, so Ichigo decided she may have had a point. Orihime shook her head.

"I didn't say we had to leave now, I'm sure you could get her to come out and say goodbye!"

Ulquiorra watched Orihime closely, trying to understand her further.  _She had no one at all besides her companions?_

They were more alike than he thought, he supposed.

Yet still, Ichigo nodded his head after a moment or two in thought. He needed to talk to her.

"Alright, you guys wait here and try to get a sense of Chad and Uryu's reiatsu, I will be back."

Orihime smiled and nodded, Harribel slightly rolled her eyes, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible, and Ulquiorra remained silent, thinking of the absurdity as well. Orihime knew though, she knew a last word to your loved one was important, especially if you don't know when you will see them again.

He vanished into a window of the manor.


	18. Strange

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Rukia was in her room still, lying in bed; waiting. She didn't know what she was waiting for, yet she still knew that there was nothing she could do, with the squad or at the manor. She didn't want to be a nuisance to anyone, so she thought it was best to follow her beloved brother's orders and stay in her room.

_Everyone must be in a frenzy right now…I wish I could help some way…_

She suddenly felt a strange reiatsu in the vicinity as she shot out bed. She figured it out immediately,  _but what was he still doing here? The fool…_

Rukia walked up and opened her door, stepping out into the hall to see where he was. Looking to her left, she noticed a familiar teenager rushing up to her.

"Rukia!"

"Ichigo, you idiot, what are you still doing here?"

Sighing, she let him inside her room and closed the door, trying to stay away from gaining any unwanted attention.

"Whoa, your room is huge, Rukia…"

"Hn. Ichigo, what are you doing? You need to get out of here before they go looking again."

He looked at her and slightly smiled.

"I know I know; your brother told me you weren't coming with us, so I just…I just…"

He looked down.

"I wanted to say goodbye, Rukia."

Her gaze softened, and she took a step closer, laughing slightly.

"Is that all, baka?"

Ichigo looked at her to see her smiling, and smiled himself despite a small blush appearing on his cheeks. He pulled her in for a hug, unexpectedly. She gasped slightly against his chest.

"I'm sorry, and I will be back."

Rukia was silent, with widened eyes and scattered thoughts. After a moment, her voice softened and she put her own arms around him.

"I know you will, baka."

* * *

After a few moments, the smaller group finally saw Ichigo come running back to their spot behind the manor. Orihime nodded, thinking.

"Now all we need to do is find Uryu-kun and Sado-kun, and then we can go back!"

Harribel nodded her head in turn.

"Good, let's get going."

Quickly, they set out to find their helpful friends. Ulquiorra and Harribel stayed behind, trying their best to be most inconspicuous.

* * *

"We are never going to find them…how big is this place anyway?"

Uryu was at his wit's end…there they were, tired, hungry, and just wanting to go home. Chad's response was his simple phrase.

"Muh…"

Suddenly, they felt a new reiatsu near them…in fact, more than one. Uryu perked up immediately.

"It must be them!"

They set off running to the source of the reiatsu, in the hopes that Ichigo and co. would be there, getting ready to leave.

* * *

"Look, over there!"

Ichigo turned to where Orihime was pointing her finger excitedly. About a hundred feet from where they stood were Chad and Uryu, running toward them. Ichigo fist pumped.

"Yes! Let's go!"

The two read headed teenagers ran over to their friends, while Harribel and Ulquiorra simply stayed behind. Harribel turned to Ulquiorra, both speaking in a quiet, urgent voice.

"Ulquiorra, tell me, what has happened to you? Your reiatsu is stranger, more like what it was like in Hueco Mundo. Did something happen?"

He sighed, and kept a watch on Orihime.

"It is none of your concern, what happens to me, Harribel."

She threw her hands up.

"It is when it has to do with you going back to your old form! We're in the same boat, you know!"

He turned to her, with that same emotionless indifferent look as always.

"…It seems as though I am starting to gain my powers back. Not too far back I was able to fire a cero, and my strength has increased. However, do not play innocent; I feel the same spike in your own reiatsu."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I haven't been able to test it yet, but I feel some type of energy growing within me. Are you crazy though? What are you thinking, testing out hollow powers in Soul Society when we were already being chased after!"

"This situation already has the Shinigami in a chaotic state; I was forced to use it to protect myself. It is nothing."

"Does Orihime know about this?"

At this, Ulquiorra paused. He couldn't just  _not_  answer, but he didn't want to really reveal anything he just learned either...not yet, if at all.

"Yes, she does. She was there when it happened."

Harribel turned back, watching the group ahead of them talk. Ulquiorra mimicked her movements, not saying anything more.

"I see. Just be careful, Ulquiorra. You don't know what this is yet."

"…I am perfectly aware of the consequences of getting caught, there is no need to worry."

She didn't have time to respond before Orihime came running back, telling the two that it was time to go back to the human world. They were all relieved.

* * *

"Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin. What are you two doing here, after being exiled long ago?"

_What idiots, they haven't even realized that we have been back numerous times since…_

Yoruichi, despite her thoughts, remained silent. Urahara stepped forward.

"Ah, well, it seems you are in quite the predicament, gentlemen. I will not play around, however. Ever since helping defeat Aizen," he decided to bring that small piece of history to their attention.

"I have been able to keep in contact with the Soul Society. When most shinigami come to a particular town in the human world, I am usually there to help. I have evidence that Soul Society illegally put cameras on certain shinigami in this town to obtain information, and that all of the main actions have been done without proper procedure since."

This was it; carefully, Urahara unwrapped a package from his cloak and presented it to Central 46.

"I believe this will captivate your interest."

* * *

For the rest of the day, things went very strangely for the teenagers in the human world. They had no idea what to do, or what was going to happen, for that matter. They just sat around, biding their time, possibly planning for what may come ahead. Ichigo and Harribel went back to their respective houses, but Ulquiorra decided to stay with Orihime at her house, to give her company.

They were both sitting on her couch, the television on in the background. They hadn't really spoken yet, too absorbed in everything that happened recently. Orihime looked back to Ulquiorra who was next to her, sitting normally. She, on the other hand, had her knees to the side and her feet on the couch in a more comfortable position. Her voice was a little over a whisper.

"I'm really glad you're back, Ulquiorra."

He turned to face her as he studied her expression. A bright blush, nearly as always, widened eyes, one of his favorite things about her, a saddened expression…something he didn't like to see on her, yet a majority of the time such expressions did appear on her face.

"It is to your effort that I am back, Onna, as always, so it seems."

She blushed even further and looked down.

"I..ah-…I was so terrified that I wouldn't be able to get you back…You… _I love you_ …"

Orihime sighed and evaded his eyes; she was never really good at asserting her feelings like this. Ulquiorra, without thinking, placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face before placing a kiss on her lips.  _They are so soft…_

"Onna, someone with the caliber of your strength should not have anything to fear, and you are my world."

She giggled and snuggled into him, hugging him tightly. Ulquiorra looked down in contemplative thought before hesitantly putting an arm around her person. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm, no need to be so shy, Ulquiorra!"

Still looking in innocent yet contemplative thought, he nodded his head and rested it on her own head. They stayed like that for quite a while.

A few moments went by, and Ulquiorra found her body slumping against him. He was about to inquire when he suddenly heard her soft snores. She was asleep. He picked up the remote she used to control the television and hit the red button she used to turn it on and off.

He sighed a little and wordlessly picked her up, going upstairs to where he knew he bedroom was from when she gave him a mini tour. The light was already off, so he placed her on the bed and pulled the covers over her, watching her for a little bit before making to leave to sleep on the couch.

Right as he was about to walk away, Orihime reached out and magically found his wrist, gripping onto it.

"Don't…leave…me…"

She was murmuring in her sleep.  _Should I do as she asks? Does she understand what she is saying…?_

Well, nothing he could do about it now. Hesitant at first, he crawled into bed with her, getting under the covers. He would never leave her again until she asks him to. Absent mindedly, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close before using his chest as a pillow. Ulquiorra placed an arm protectively around her and rested his head on the pillow, exhausted from everything as well.

It was rather expected that he should still have those strange, strange dreams.

* * *

_Step Step Step…_

_Slowly moving, he was stranded in Hueco Mundo, walking through the sandy deserts that never ended. He was still in his old form before he joined Aizen's army, the mask covering all but his eyes, long horns pointed to the dark sky, and black feathered wings on his lower back._

_The monotonous plains were watched over by the gentle watery moon. Just by an impulse, he looked up at that moon._

' _There, what is over there?'_

_Ulquiorra strained to see a tiny figure on the moon, seated, with wide white wigs spread out. He more he stared, the clearer she became._

_He started to notice her long red hair, her black dress, a scar over her revealed skin that was most likely her heart. He suddenly had the thought that he himself had ripped it out of her._

_The Vasto Lorde could see her wide, kind eyes as they watched over him, her legs swinging back and forth like a child as she sat on that celestial object. He noticed that he was by himself, all of a sudden._

_Looking down, he felt something in his hands._

_Yes, he actually felt this thing he touched, rather than senseless movements as always. Was this the first time he actually felt what he touched?_

_He looked down, and amidst the black and white bland color scheme of the barren place was a deep red heart in the palm of his hand. It must be hers, he thought whilst musing the subject for a while. It was rare that he actually thought anyway, other than just existing and surviving._

_The heart was rather large and bleeding profusely, the blood running through his fingers and dripping onto the sand, coloring it. He rubbed his thumb over this strange texture. It was smooth, thick, almost a rubbery feeling. He contemplated how it got there calmly, also contemplating its existence._

_Instinctively, he looked back up at the moon to see the woman looking down at him still, smiling. He saw what he perceived to be a wink and a laugh, and then he watched her fly away, wings taking her beyond his sight._

_He kept walking with the strange, beating object in his hands, and then everything went black._

* * *

Ulquiorra shot up from the bed in a sweat. He looked around him and noticed that Orihime was just slightly waking up herself, probably sensing the disturbance in her bed. Her voice was soft, as always.

"Is everything alright?"

Ulquiorra lied back down, resting his head on the pillow and staring over at her, who cracked one eye open to look at him.

"Yes, I am sorry."

She smiled tiredly at that.

"Don't apologize, Ulquiorra. Was it a bad dream?"

Her hand traveled from her side and landed on his own hand, which he grasped back instinctively, not knowing why. He stared down at their intertwined hands, and then back into her silver depths.

"I…I think I may be remembering something from my time as a Vasto Lorde."

At this, her other eye opened as she rubbed his hand with her thumb.

"Oh…well that's good, isn't it? You can unlock different things now; maybe this is a part of your powers coming back."

He thought about that for a while, before speaking back to her in a softer voice.

"Perhaps. Go back to sleep, Onna."

She smiled again, but this time she was a bit bolder in her dazed state. Scooting back closer to him in her bed, she must have moved to the other side in her sleep, she assumed the same position as before, but this time wrapped both arms around him, pulling him close.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at first, however he soon accepted the fact and rested his head on the pillow where his chin was on top of her head, putting his arms around her in return.

They fell back asleep that way.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._


	19. Dive Deeper

The sun rose slowly over the hilltops of Karakura Town. Summer began to show its mark with the warmer temperatures, but despite the rustle of animals waking up, of shops opening their doors, of small children running about, two people failed to notice any and all of the early morning movements.

Orihime and Ulquiorra, sleeping, were still embracing in the same way as how they fell asleep. Everyone who endured the trip to Soul Society was purely exhausted, and had no intentions of waking up until their natural clocks told them to. In fact, with school being over, they had no obligations other than small jobs and hollow fighting to keep the town safe; yet the latter was enough to tire one out constantly.

It wasn't until noon when the young couple started to shift to reality.

Ulquiorra started to lazily open his eyes, taking in the too bright of a light filtering through the window. _She needed better shades._  Suddenly, his eyes widened as he remembered the night, and looked down to see and feel Orihime wrapped in his arms, seemingly sound asleep. He took this moment to memorize her features as he looked down, a contemplative expression donning his face.

_She has the longest eyelashes I have ever seen…And that natural blush that stained her cheeks…So…_

He paused. So…what? Is this what humans referred to as 'adorable'? Or 'cute'? Well, he thought he should probably get used to feelings like this, considering he was still a majority human as of right now. Ulquiorra looked back down at her when she made a soft sound.

_She snores softly too, though I doubt she would ever admit it…She is too attractive for her own good…Orihime will be the death of me…and the life of me…My everything, lying in my arms._

"Having fun, Ulquiorra?"

A soft and sleepy voice awoke him from his trance, and refocused to see that she was blushing even heavier and smiling up at him. This was too much.

"Fun…? I hardly know the meaning…"

Another thing. Fun. Never in his life had he thought of anything as actually 'fun'. Orihime chuckled and rested her head back on his chest.

"Of course not, it is _you_ of all people…What time is it?"

Ulquiorra looked up at the clock.

"About 12 pm."

Orihime widened her eyes and moaned.

"Aww…we are going to have to get up soon…"

Ulquiorra didn't budged, in fact, he held her tighter. He was in no mood to get up.

"Says who? We have no obligations today, it might just be best to stay in bed."

Orihime sighed.

"Oh Ulquiorra…I suppose you're right, a little longer here couldn't hurt…Besides, I like this."

It was at least another hour of lying in bed before the two finally got up and made lunch.

* * *

The captains in the Sereitei were summoned to another emergency meeting. Another frustrating night of paperwork, reigning in squads, and easing the tension were more than tiring on their behalf, and at this point they all just wanted to sleep.  _Forever._

Yamamoto was in his usual spot in the front, eyes closed, solemn and standing tall as always, despite everything.

"Good work keeping your squads in line during this ordeal. It has been tough and confusing, but it seems as though Central 46 has finally come up with a solution to the problem we face."

He then took out a piece of paper from the Central with a final decision on it from his robes, and cracked his eyes open to read it aloud.

"The final decision of Central 46 is absolute and irreversible. From evidence…of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin, illegal actions were taken to come to a discovery that should not have been decided without consulting the Central in the first place."

Boy, was he having trouble reading this one.

"Since it seems that the two former arrancar have completely turned to humans and reside with who could be named the recent saviors of Soul Society, they pose no threat, and it would be a black mark on history if we were to just eliminate them without a second chance, as they were controlled by the Hogyoku.

Also, with the interception of Squad Zero and the Royal Guard, it has been decided that the Gotei 13 will  _not_  interfere with their lives and let them go in peace."

Complete silence followed, save the sounds of small sighs of relief from a few of the captains. The only time the Central actually made a good decision. How odd. Suddenly another reiatsu flashed in, and all heads turned to a certain blonde man in a green hat.

"Ah, hello there, everyone!"

Yamamoto's reiatsu was flaring, but his voice remained calm.

"What is it that you want here, Urahara?"

The scientist smiled.

"Just here to drop you off something, if you don't mind…"

He walked right up to the Soutaichou, maintaining that complacent smile as all of the captains watched the exchange. When he reached the other man, Urahara whipped a small package out of his robes and handed it to Yamamoto. When the older shinigami reached out and opened it, he saw two small video cameras that were on Renji and Rukia during their stay in the real world. He looked up and glared.

"…Thank you."

Urahara then proceeded to bow, followed by an "Anytime, Soutaichou!" and left.

Everyone was silent, and poor old Yamamoto was seething.

* * *

It was later during the day when the Karakura gang was called to the Urahara shop for news. They were all filled with anxiety about what had happened, and as they all gathered together in front of the shop, Orihime took a deep breath. She squeezed Ulquiorra's hand, who, in turn, squeezed it back and stood her close.

So, Ichigo, Harribel, Uryu, Chad, Orihime, and Ulquiorra, without saying a word, went inside.

The first thing they saw was Yoruichi and Urahara, who were both smiling gratefully.

"Ah, thank you all so much for being able to make it! Come in, have some tea!"

Urahara lead them in to where the tea room was, and had everyone sit down. He began in his nonchalant, carefree tone.

"So, instead of waiting around for nothing, I ended up staying over in Soul Society last night along with miss Yoruichi. And it seems as though the Gotei 13 reached their decision!"

_That was quick._

"Since you are all probably wondering your fate, I shall make it short and sweet. They are allowing you to live your lives without interference."

A sigh of relief filled the room.

"Thank God…" Orihime muttered as she smiled. Yoruichi looked over at her.

"No, thank yourselves; you all went to the trouble of helping. You deserve the peace."

Harribel smiled and nodded her head.

"She is right, thank you for saving us; once again, it seems you have helped in a tremendous way."

Ulquiorra nodded as well, in his language, saying 'I agree.'

They all drank their tea in relative silence, not knowing what to say. Now they had to worry about what they were going to do for the rest of their lives, but in the meantime, they were quite relieved. Finally, after a little while, the group started to get up, about to go back home when Urahara spoke up again. His face was pointed down at the tea, his hat ominously covering his features with the shadow.

"Actually, I was wondering if Harribel and Ulquiorra could stay here for a moment, just for a talk."

Ichigo had an expression of confusion, but left with Chad and Uryu anyway as they looked back to see what was happening. Orihime was extremely hesitant, but knew she had to leave, so she left the room and waited outside the shop for Ulquiorra. The two former espada stayed put, confused and slightly interested in what he had wanted to say. Harribel spoke up first when she heard the outer door close.

"What is this about?"

Urahara looked up at the two of them, a serious expression on his face.

"So, what are you two planning to do now that you have your powers back?"

Silence.

* * *

Rukia was walking down to have lunch at the manor during her break to continue to follow her brother's orders and stay low. Making it to the smaller wooden table by her favorite large garden, she was utterly surprised to see Byakuya sitting there, waiting for her with food on both sides of the table. Her eyes widened as she paused.

"Nii-sama!"

He gestured for her to take a seat on the other side of him, to which she hurriedly did.

"I was told you enjoy spending time out here, so I figured you would come by."

"Of course, Nii-sama, but why do you want to talk to me? Is everything alright?"

He looked down and nodded before looking back up at her, another apathetic yet contemplative expression looking over at Rukia.

"Yes, for the moment, everything is fine, Rukia. I thought I should let you in on…the final decision made about the subject you are currently involved in."

She looked up at him again, shocked.

"They made a decision already?"

Again, he nodded slowly.

"Yes. To your advantage. They decided to leave the former arrancar alone now."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She muttered a short "thank god."

"Nii-sama! Does this mean you and the others can rest now? Should I still lay low?"

"It is probably a good idea for you to continue to be out of the radar, but you do not need to be on the lookout anymore. The captains still have their duty though, Rukia, as always."

She gave an embarrassed nod and looked down at the deliciously prepared food. Her stomach grumbled slightly, much to her dismay.

"T-Thank you, Nii-sama, for looking out for me-"

"Just eat, Rukia."

"Of course, Nii-sama."

* * *

Orihime was still waiting outside the shop when the sun was high in the sky, signaling the late afternoon. She was very curious as to what could be taking them so long in there, and yet she was a bit nervous at the same time. The girl went back and forth about whether she should just go to her house and find Ulquiorra later, but finally decided that he was worth the wait. It was about 5 in the afternoon when Ulquiorra, Harribel, and Urahara walked out of the shop. Urahara waved with a smile.

"Thank you all for coming and musing this poor old man!"

With that, Orihime waved back, smiled, and walked with them away. Once they were out of sight, Harribel turned to face Ulquiorra.

"Make sure whatever you do you are back by midnight. There are things we need to discuss."

Ulquiorra gave a curt nod and walked the other way with Orihime back toward her house. For the moment, he pretended he didn't see her curious expression. About ten minutes later, the girl unlocked the door to her apartment and let Ulquiorra in. She closed the door behind herself, and then turned back to him.

"What was that all about? Are you guys alright?"

Ulquiorra gave her a weary expression before following her to the couch. The TV stayed off.

"Yes, Onna, everything is alright, there is no need to worry. It seems as though Urahara knew we were gaining our powers back, and he wanted to know what we would do with them."

Orihime looked down and gave an "oh."

"There is nothing to be concerned about, I can assure you. He opened his underground training room for us to use if we need it, so long as we help keep the humans safe. He used a bit of a guilt trip for us."

She nodded her head and took hold of his hand, looking at the pale against pale skin intertwined. Ulquiorra took his other hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her face up to meet his eyes before giving a soft kiss on her lips. His voice seemed a bit softer than usual.

"I know what you are thinking, I can tell when you are nervous…or scared, you know."

She had kissed back with fervor and pushed him back, so she was laying on top of him on the couch. Ulquiorra watched her closely.

"I know…it's just…that means you have a better chance of being attacked, or being interfered with again by Soul Society if they find out…I…won't be able to protect you, anymore."

She cuddled close to his chest and Ulquiorra instinctively wrapped his arms around her. He sighed lightly.

"Now I will be able to take back what was done to you in Hueco Mundo and protect  _you_. No, this doesn't mean you are worthless or useless like you thought before. This only means…we are one powerful team."

"Team…" Orihime tested the word. "I quite like the sound of that…"

She had hugged him tighter when he mentioned her insecurities about being worthless; it was like he was reading her mind. She reached up and kissed him again. Her eyes were slightly glazed over, and her voice was deeper and quieter than usual.

"Then show me…"

Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Show me…that I'm not worthless… _please_."

A tear had seemed to slip out, one that was quickly kissed away by Ulquiorra. He had a feeling of what she was implying, and honestly had been craving the same thing with his human body, already barely able to contain himself. He nodded his head and slipped from under her, picking her up bridal style and carrying her upstairs to her room.

He would do everything she asked of him.

He placed her on the bed on her back and put his arms on either side of her, dipping down for another kiss. Orihime in turn wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, bringing him closer. The moment she opened her mouth for air he slipped his tongue in her mouth, tasting her and deepening the kiss. She let out a soft moan that drove him wild. He wanted to hear more from her.

Ulquiorra let his instincts take over with her, obeying to his desires and to her moans as she pulled him down completely on top of her.

After a few moments of passionate, heated kissing, Orihime began to fiddle with Ulquiorra's shirt in an attempt to get it off. Breaking the kiss, he helped her out by lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it on the floor next to the bed, looking into her eyes practically the whole time, waiting for a reaction.

She immediately ran her fingers against his chest, against every crevice of his well defined and lean muscles and then again as she brought him down. He nearly shivered at the contact, loving every minute of her hands on him. Deciding that he wanted to return the favour quickly and feel her own skin, he began to unbutton the blouse she was wearing, noticing the vibrant blush on her face. She helped him out and stretched out of the fabric as he took it and threw it on top of his own shirt.

He stared down for a moment on the strange thing covering her breasts. What was the point of that? He looked up and saw her look up at him, nervous, before averting her gaze downward. Honestly, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. As he began to take the loops of the bra off her shoulders and lift it over her head, he kissed her softly on the lips again, telling her it was alright. Once there was nothing left covering her chest, she looked up in anxiety. Would he like what he saw? Was she too big? Not good enough?

He let out a breath and pressed himself against her, both of them moaning in the process. He kissed each cheek and whispered.

"By god, was there ever a creature more beautiful than you?"

She gasped, smiling as tears prickled her eyes, truly touched and happy at his words. She kissed him and let out a ragged breath.

"Not as perfect as you, my love."

His deep green eyes penetrating her own silver depths, something in both of their eyes seemed darker, hazier. He lowered himself and began to give direct attention to her chest, as she went to tug at the hem of his pants.

That night, the sound of their lusty moans filled the air as they began to dig deeper and discover a whole new level of eternal love.


	20. Come Closer

It was exactly midnight when Ulquiorra stepped into the flat.

His current feelings were somewhat euphoric, in a sense. Physically, he felt amazing, his body was completely relaxed, his breaths lighter and his general spirit lifted. Mentally, he was relieved, though he couldn't describe fully his emotions. Happiness? Is that what this was?

" _If there is such a thing called happiness in this world, it should be something like the limitless nothingness…"_

Ulquiorra couldn't even comprehend how in depth his feelings thrived. But he did know one thing…

He didn't want to leave.

So, slightly frustrated with Harribel's one sided agreement, he closed the door in annoyance behind him and walked into the kitchen to see the blonde sitting at the table; waiting. She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised.

"At least you are back on time."

"Hn."

He automatically took a seat across from her and leaned back in his chair, eyeing her warily. She looked back down at her mug of coffee for a moment, before looking back up at him.

"I may or may not be here for much longer."

Silence.

Ulquiorra kept his apathetic expression, and continued to stare at her, refusing to say a word. That urged her to continue.

"You have an attachment here. You have Orihime. I, on the other hand,  _do not._ I feel…I feel as though I need to go somewhere else, explore, for a while. I need to figure out a few things, find a few things, and learn a few things while in this form."

She looked up hesitantly at him after finishing her statement with a sip of warmer coffee. Ulquiorra looked down, still without expression. He spoke, which actually surprised Harribel somewhat.

"You still have things to think about."

She nodded, and looked out over to the window in the kitchen above the sink.

"Yes. I am also going to have to save money from my work before I have enough to leave, and I may come back every once and a while. I will still train and fight when needed, but…this is for my own good. This is  _my_  way of ensuring that when I die again, I do not go back to Hueco Mundo."

The pale man thought for a moment before finally nodding his head. It did make sense.

"That is fine; you do not need my permission. I suppose you will let me know before you depart, then?"

Another nod.

"I wouldn't just leave without anyone knowing."

Another wave of silence laced through the still air as the two former arrancar sat at the table, lost in thought. After a long while passed, Harribel finally stood up, dumped the remains of her coffee in the sink, placed the mug down, and faced Ulquiorra.

"I will retire for the night."

She left the kitchen without another word, leaving Ulquiorra sitting there by himself.

Lost in thought for just a bit longer, he stayed still before at last getting up, pushing his chair in and turning the light off before heading off to his own room. Before closing the door when he entered his room, he gave a last look into the hallway.

No scarred angel in sight.

Giving a small "hn", he closed the door.

He wouldn't sleep as well tonight without the Onna by his side.

* * *

"Baka!"

"Ruk-AH!"

Before he could finish saying her name, Ichigo was greeted with a kick to the face as Rukia pummeled him to the ground.

"Your reflexes are still slow, I see…"

Ichigo got up quickly and glared at her, about to start an argument about how his reflexes were just fine, and how he felt bad hurting a little girl like herself, to which she would reply with an eye twitch and another punch in the nose.

It was the next day, and they began to walk to the teenager's house around noon, when Ichigo finally asked her.

"What are you doing back here so soon? Weren't you supposed to be…away for a while?"

Rukia sighed and playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"What, you don't want my company?"

She laughed slightly before he could answer, and started to speak again.

"No…it's just…with everything settled now, I am freer, and I thought I would come see you…see how you are doing…"

They both kept walking, silent for a bit. Ichigo was processing what she had just said, wondering why she wanted to see him so quickly, but glad she did too.

After a little while, they both walked up to Ichigo's house, before they stopped at the porch, Rukia staying down at the end of the steps. The redhead looked down at her.

"Aren't you coming in?"

Rukia smiled lightly.

"I'm not here to stay this time, Ichigo. I'll only be back to visit for now until I get another assignment."

For some reason, they both looked a bit melancholy. Ichigo looked down for a moment in thought before looking back at the shinigami.

"Oh…well…you can still come in, have dinner before you go, if you want."

Rukia blushed lightly for a reason unknown to her, and she smiled again and nodded her head, taking a step up onto the stairs.

"Alright."

* * *

Ulquiorra and Orihime were back at the former's apartment, doing really nothing in particular. They had just gone out for lunch, and Harribel left to go to Urahara's to train before leaving to the bar again. It seemed odd that so many things had changed, but so little was noticed by the rest of the world.

Things were settling back to their normal routine, save a few key things.

"Ah, your room! I haven't been here since…"

Orihime walked through the door that Ulquiorra opened for her and looked around as she spoke in her curious, higher pitched voice. It was dark, just like before when her love had saved her from getting beaten by those thugs a few nights ago, despite it being daytime now. It was so like Ulquiorra, she almost laughed, but her cheeks began to flame when she realized what else had transpired here.

Ulquiorra stepped in behind her and watched her reactions. He could never forget his first passionate kiss with the Onna, despite the circumstance. Walking slowly, Orihime went over to the giant windows on the opposite side of the room that allowed a certain light to be filtered against the dark walls. It was a nice view over the town, and if she squinted the redhead could just see a few kids playing around the park nearby.

He went up beside her, and she looked up at him.

"They are so carefree…so filled with joy and energy, ready to grow up at their own pace. I suppose that got stolen from us…"

He observed her carefully as she spoke, noted the slight downward twitch of the corners of her lips, the look in her eyes as she looked downcast and to the side in an indescribable happy yet sad manner. She spoke again, a little flustered this time.

"Oh! Well, I am glad too that even though we were never normal, we got to meet each other and be happy together! I suppose everything balances out, in the end."

He continued to watch her, and she looked back up at him, smiling. Ulquiorra wondered how she could say such heavy hearted things in a lighter tone; she always had a knack at making things seem far better than they were, but that was just another thing on the list that intrigued him.

Without saying a word, he put his fingers underneath her chin and lifted her face up before bending down ever so slightly and placing a soft kiss on her lips. Her ramblings stopped as she kissed back, and she wrapped her arms around him. When the kiss ended (far earlier than Ulquiorra would have liked), she rested her head on his chest and looked out the window again. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her and looked at the children outside, contemplative.

They stayed that way for a while.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

"Hush, Onna."

"But Ulquiooooraa…!"

"You will see."

The sky was now a purple-bluish color littered with stars that were just beginning to shine as Ulquiorra led Orihime through the streets of Karakura Town, the latter inquiring curiously as to where they were headed after he pulled her out of the apartment saying something about dinner.

Ulquiorra was actually a little nervous about the night; he did not want to disappoint his woman, but he figured she deserved a nice "romantic evening" as the humans called it. It would start with a high class dinner, and with luck, end in an even more romantic night over at her house.

After all, they both deserved a night to feel like higher class beings, so he thought.

Ulquiorra had actually made a reservation in the morning for a nice foreign restaurant that he had heard about in the bookstore a while back. He had the money saved from work to pay for the two of them, so he immediately decided that this would be a great way to woo the woman.

He quickly sent her home after dragging her out of the apartment to quickly dress into something nicer, whilst he put on a black dress shirt and pants. Of course, it should be said that Ulquiorra knew his manners and formalities, as well as how to be a perfect gentleman, not that he ever felt the desire to use those skills at all. But this night was different. He had learned enough by watching people that it was appropriate to dress classier when going out, so that was what he would do.

After changing, he quickly left off to her house and became utterly speechless when she walked out blushing in a long emerald dress that matched his eyes. She looked stunning, to say the least.

Orihime was completely baffled at the directions, especially when the only response when she asked why they were doing this was that they were going somewhere nice to dine. In her house, she pulled out the only "elegant" dress she could find and tried it on. Lucky thing that her aunt would send her one for Christmas last year. She viewed herself in the mirror, and couldn't stop staring at the reflection looking back at her. A halter dark emerald dress flowed down and perfectly accentuated her figure, and brought out the long red waves that cascaded down her shoulders. Orihime could hardly believe it was her.

Ulquiorra's face as she stepped out of the house was somewhat nice, too.

So now here they were, walking along the sidewalks as Ulquiorra led the way to where they would dine.

After a little while of walking, Orihime finally saw a larger building with monstrous pillars in the front and superior looking people walking inside. It was a large, phenomenally designed building, and she wondered if that was the place he was talking about.

_How would we even pay?_

Nonetheless, Orihime followed him up the stairs underneath the large words sculpted in the walls of the outside.

_Amore Riuniti._

How ironic.

"Oooh, it has been forever since I have had Italian food!"

Orihime's smile grew, despite how nervous she was in such an environment. She looked over at Ulquiorra who seemingly remained apathetic in the restaurant's presence.

"Come with me, Orihime."

She blushed and nodded, rushing up by his side and taking his offered arm. Going up to the waiter at a stand (a rather snotty looking one), Ulquiorra had said a simple word.

"Cifer."

The man nodded and welcomed them before having another waiter in a tuxedo bring them up to a second floor by a window and seat them in a two person table with a candle in the middle. Asking for drinks, Ulquiorra had ordered a simple water while Orihime went a little further and asked for a virgin strawberry daiquiri (yes, they were in an expensive restaurant, but everyone could tell at least Orihime was too young to drink any wines). After the waiter left, the two looked at each other for a moment before Orihime looked out the window, entranced by the beautiful view.

"Wow, this is amazing, Ulquiorra!"

He simply nodded and looked over at her, speaking in his deep soothing voice.

"It was the least I could do, Onna. You deserve everything."

She looked down and blushed.

"That's silly, I have you. That's all I ever need…"

"…Hn."

Orihime suddenly laughed a little, driving the poor man curious, wondering what was so funny.

"Might I inquire as to what is making you laugh, Onna?"

She stopped giggling and looked up at him once more.

"You are just something else, Ulquiorra! This is just so great, thank you for taking me here, but please believe me when I say that you are all I would ever need. It is true."

He stared at her in thought before slowly nodding his head.

"Then the same would go for me as well, I must say."

Orihime blushed even harder and looked down at the menu, Ulquiorra following her lead.

Soon enough the waiter came up to them and served their drinks before asking if they were ready to order. Orihime nodded her head and looked up at the waiter, ordering tortellini in her sweet voice. Ulquiorra ordered the ziti, and the waiter was on his way.

Taking a sip of her non alcoholic beverage, Orihime sighed in delight after swallowing.

"You should taste this, it is delicious!"

Ulquiorra then became bold and leaned over the table, careful not to let any part touch the candle. Taking her lips in a quick surprising kiss, he licked off the daiquiri that was still on her lips, running his tongue across her mouth before sitting back down.

"Yes, very _sweet_."

Orihime had to fight back a small moan when she felt his tongue against her soft lips, completely not expecting his move. Her eyes had widened before closing, giving into the kiss when suddenly, it was over, and he was back at his seat. She looked down and smiled at his words.

The rest of the time went by with the young couple making light conversation, discussing a wide variety of topics from what different things they could try to do together to what they would do in the future. Everything was up in the air, to say the truth.

Sooner or later, the food was placed on the table and the couple became silent for a few moments, savoring the delectable cuisine before them. The rest of their time at the restaurant would be a little more quiet; deeper thoughts settling in the pits of their heads.

* * *

"That was spectacular, Ulquiorra, and thank you again!"

Orihime kissed his cheek as they walked out of the large building, filled up with tiramisu and well cooked dinner. Ulquiorra, with a much lighter wallet, replied with a simple "of course" as he led her in the direction of her apartment, adamant on staying with her until she turned him away.

After unlocking the door to the house and turning on the lights, Orihime closed the door behind them as Ulquiorra followed her up to her room, silent as always.

Orihime noticed him in her room with her and blushed (for the thousandth time that night).

"Ulquiorra! I need to get undressed!"

The ex arrancar sat on her bed and stated a simple sentence.

"It isn't like I  _haven't_  seen you undressed before, Onna."

She didn't really have an answer for that as she looked at him with a jokingly "are you serious" expression on her face. Going over to him on the bed, she gave him another kiss and smiled.

"Then perhaps you could help me out of it?"

"I will do everything you ask of me."

* * *

He was sleeping in her bed once more while holding the woman in his arms. Another peaceful night, until he started to dream.

_Silence, nothingness…A black corridor surrounding him as he took one step at a time, slowly, as though he was heading toward his greatest doom._

_There was no redheaded angel in this place._

_Ulquiorra saw nothing but bleak darkness consuming him, and he was reverted back to his old loss of senses like his form in Hueco Mundo._

**_Step, step, step_ **

_Finally, he stopped in front of this great heavy door with a thousand locks on it, but it did not faze him._

_The man opened the door with one hand and stepped inside._

_What is this-_

_Shh_

_Wait._

_Another step, and he could just make out a figure, sitting in a black chair amidst the black surrounding. The reiatsu of the figure was searching, probing him, looking for something, and Ulquiorra felt a tremor all too familiar, despite his lack of emotional depth._

**_Step, step, step_ **

_He suddenly stood in front of the bound man in a chair, and only one word could escape his mouth, one emotionless yet thrilling word that had sparked so many things._

" _Aizen."_


	21. Moon

_It is a solemn and lonely world._

_Everything is meaningless… empty, naturally._

_Only guided by will, I had no meaning;_

_Doomed to walk the sands of time left to my thoughts._

_The things reflected in my eyes have no meaning;_

_The things that could not be reflected in my eyes do not exist._

…

_But what is there? What is here, right next to me?_

_Red._

_The only color of my soul, if such a frivolous thing can exist._

_She is there, the one who has always been there;_

_I just never noticed before._

_The Onna, my angel, the reason of existence that I have placed upon myself._

_I will follow her forever, until she casts me away;_

_And even then, I will tie myself to her, and be there from a distance._

_For here, in the palm of my hand, bloody and pulsating,_

_I hold her heart._

_I look over, back to her form, and I see that vibrant smile that takes my breath away,_

_And I know,_

_Just by that smile, and the look in those eyes,_

_That she controls my entire being, and I am hers._

_For eternity._

* * *

"Uwaah- Ulquiorra! Come on, we need to go!"

"Hush, Onna. We can just stay here."

The sun was fresh in the sky as morning rose over Karakura Town. The windows were frosted; a blanket of snow rested upon the ground, and a certain couple had just woken up underneath the warm comforter. Too warm to get out of now.

"But I will be late for school!"

Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra in his arms, giving her famous puppy dog expression. He, on the other hand, looked as stern as ever.

"It is your last year; surely, you can afford to be a little late. It is much too early."

She sighed; the woman had explained to him the importance of education, but he was adamant that nothing could steal her away from him for too long. He knew she was good at what she did there, so he knew she would be allowed to go in just a little later every once in a while.

Every moment they were together was worth it.

Orihime turned on her back and looked at the ceiling. Ever since school had started up again, she had been able to see her love less and less. Despite the fact that she didn't have as much work left as usual, being her last year before she had to find some university, there was still eight hours a day in which she couldn't see Ulquiorra. Needless to say, she suddenly was not a fan of school.

Ulquiorra was even less a fan.

They had frequently stayed over each other's apartments, barely wanting to spend a minute away from each other. Now, whenever either of them could rest in the other's arms, they could revel in the true bliss of being happy.

It was about time they were happy; they had only spent since the beginning of their existence fighting for one another, even if half the time they didn't know it yet.

Then there was the terrifying thought about what would happen after this year. What did she want to do? Become a baker maybe? A doctor? With her grades, she could really do anything she wanted, but that was the mind-stopping thought. She didn't know what she wanted, besides the man lying next to her in her arms. Was that not enough?

So many questions…but there were even more. What about Ulquiorra? Would he follow her? How? Orihime sighed and looked down; she would wait until later to figure that out.

The woman turned her head slightly and looked out the window. The sky was a nearly blackish blue, rain pelting from the sky. It was not a morning she wanted to be out walking in, honestly. It was so early…

Grasping on tighter to his form, she rested her head upon his chest. He was right, for now. She would just go with the flow, and at the very moment, the flow wanted her to sleep.

* * *

"Do you think you'll find it?"

"It does not really matter at this point, but it's something."

"Well…you have my number…and remember the deal, Harribel-san."

"I know."

They were in the Urahara Shop, rain pouring on them the same as it did when she first arrived at his store. Harribel looked out the window; it seemed every time something major happened, it was raining. How so very strange. Urahara watched her melancholy form for a moment, before joining her and looking out the window.

"…I assume you said goodbye to Ulquiorra?"

"Yes…Last night, he is sleeping at Orihime's though, now. Maybe it's because he did not want to wake up alone there…but I'm sure he wouldn't mind it anyway."

"Hmm…."

"…"

She looked down; he had certainly changed. On the inside, anyway. It was sometime around midnight, which had become, more or less, their prime time for conversation…although, Ulquiorra had been expecting this moment for about half a year, now.

" _I am leaving."_

_Ulquiorra looked up, his voice soft._

" _I know…"_

_Harribel furrowed her eyebrows ever so lightly._

" _You…do?"_

_A curt nod._

" _I saw an airplane ticket. First thing in the morning. And you only waited until just now to tell me…"_

_She sighed._

" _I figured you would not dwell too much on it, so why say it earlier? It's not like you needed to prepare."_

" _Hn."_

_Silence, momentarily. They looked down as they sat at the kitchen table, lost in their own thoughts._

" _I'll probably see you again. Some hollow problem, some information I need from Urahara. Even if I do not, we are most likely going to the same place after our time in this form."_

" _I never thought any different."_

_Ulquiorra was so indifferent about everything; Harribel thought with slight amusement. He would never change outwardly, except for maybe around Orihime. That woman had the greatest hold over him. The man finally looked up at her._

" _What are you expecting to find?"_

" _Oh…I'm not sure yet. Records, a history, someone…anyone that could know of my past. I would really like to know. I hope I can have a little more of who I was versus who I am now, just to see how much I have changed."_

" _Hope…you will never find what you seek by merely hoping. Surely you know that by now."_

_She let out a small chuckle._

" _Yes…that's why I am actually traveling there." Harribel then gave a small huff._

" _I suppose I cannot offer any comfort, considering you do not need any. You were never one for companionship, save Orihime Inoue. She's good for you. Hold onto her."_

_In any other circumstance, he would have given a retort about how he did not need her advice or how he did not intend to do any such thing. But now…he figured he would let it go. He stood up._

" _Good luck in Italy, then. Do not get yourself killed."_

" _Just because I may have been part of the Mafia does not mean I will be now, Ulquiorra."_

" _Hn."_

_She got up as well, and despite him being a stiff as a board, she hugged him._

" _Goodbye, Ulquiorra."_

"… _Goodbye."_

_Harribel stopped hugging him and smiled. Probably one of the most sincere smiles he had seen from her. Looking over him once, she turned around and headed toward the bedroom._

" _Goodnight…"_

_Ulquiorra muttered a small "goodnight" and watched her close her bedroom door for the last time._

* * *

"Did you say goodbye to anyone else?" Urahara was slightly curious.

"No…it isn't like I knew them well anyway, though I did leave a small care package at Orihime's doorstep. It was because of her that I'm alive at all."

"Ahhh…"

They shared another moment in silence before a yellow taxi cab finally pulled in sight in front of the shop. Harribel nodded at Urahara.

"This is it."

"Yes, so it seems…good luck with your journey then, Harribel san!"

"Thank you…thank you for everything."

He gave a crooked smile in reply, and she gave a last appreciative nod and smile to everyone else, who was watching her take her leave.

Turning around, she took a deep breath…

She walked out the door.

* * *

"Be safe going back – give everyone my regards."

"Yes yes, baka."

Rukia and Ichigo were on the front steps after school, the former slowly making her way down to return to Soul Society, while the latter walked by her side, staying with her until she reached the senkaimon. Over the past few months, their relationship had been growing steadily stronger, despite what it may seem to others.

One night during the fall, they had taken a walk around the park to clear their heads (and to get away from Ichigo's  _entertaining_  family) when Rukia tripped over a crack in the cobblestone walkway. Ichigo, playing the role of the protector, had made a move to grab her, but lost his footing and ended up falling on top of her in the grass. The cool breeze was refreshing as it swept through their hair and clothes ad laced across their skin, however, nothing was noticeable to either of them except the delicate features of the other. After a moment of awkward staring, blushes, and widened eyes, they shared their first real kiss.

Now, Rukia had made it a point to come down whenever she could, despite her current lieutenant status. This time she had actually snuck out before a mission a day early to hang out with the teenager, who happily obliged and wished her luck in her upcoming fight.

"I could go with you, you know…"

She rolled her eyes.

"I am a lieutenant now, Ichigo! It took long enough for Nii sama to allow it, and I definitely wouldn't be given the title if I wasn't capable! I will be fine."

He put his hands up in a truce signal.

"Alright, alright! Don't tear my head off, I'm just saying."

They walked in silence along the sidewalk for a little bit. Finally, they reached an area where the hole in the air opened and a dark tunnel was made known. Rukia looked up at Ichigo and smiled.

"Goodbye, Ichigo."

He gave a soft smile down at her and nodded his head.

"Yeah…see you soon, Rukia."

He watched her leave, and stood there for a while.

* * *

The moon shone brightly over Karakura Town, illuminating the pale snow with its gentle light that engulfed everywhere it landed. In a meadow somewhere nearby, a young couple could be seen lying on top of the snow; red mixed with black, silver eyes staring up at that beautiful moon in awe, as a pair of forest green orbs moved slightly and landed over the woman next to him.

He also vaguely wondered what would happen in the future. What would happen if they had to move somewhere, if Orihime had to go somewhere after school. He would certainly not hold her back. However, he couldn't really see why they would have to leave in the first place.

Still, Ulquiorra could not help but notice that melancholy look in her eyes after she had been thinking too much, and he knew her too well. Sometimes when he asked her what was plaguing her thoughts; she would look up in surprise and say nothing. The likes of the ex espada would not be fooled. It may work on her friends, but he knew so much more about how she worked…

Finally, Ulquiorra spoke, a deep voice penetrating the cold air, softly humming into her eardrums.

"I have spent centuries not knowing exactly where I was going, you know…"

That simple statement was enough to have her completely understand where he was going. Orihime smiled, facing him as she curled up by his side.

"I know…and we finally have each other; that is all that matters really! Eheh-Besides…we still have time to figure all of that out."

He wrapped an arm around her form and brought her closer, the small sound of crunching snow underneath them softening as it played in their ears. At her statement, Ulquiorra lifted an eyebrow and looked down at her, contemplating as always.

"…Of course, Onna."

Orihime giggled at the name; it seems he would never change in some aspects. She, however, would not have it any other way. Taking a bold move, she reached up and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, to which he widened his eyes before succumbing to the soft, stimulating feeling of her mouth gently running across his own. His grip around her instinctively tightened.

* * *

Later that night, the couple moved location to Ulquiorra's apartment, now  _only_  Ulquiorra's apartment.

Orihime had greatly enjoyed the baked goods Harribel had included in her care package when she discovered it on her porch, and was a bit saddened to see her leave so soon. Such was life, however. She gripped Ulquiorra's hand as they walked inside, and when she noticed him glance down Harribel's hallway, the girl squeezed his hand lightly, in a comforting gesture.

The pair went to Ulquiorra's room in the otherwise silent area, Orihime immediately laying down on the floor of the balcony to look up at the moon again. Ulquiorra noted that she must really enjoy such nature, but he watched her on the ground slightly before speaking.

"If you stay out here for too long, you will undoubtedly get sick, Orihime."

"Aww-! Ulquiorra, it isn't that bad!"

He sighed, she was so cute like that, but he was always the one to watch over her health, even as an arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Without another word, he left before coming back momentarily with a giant black heavy comforter and pillows. She blushed as he slipped one underneath her head, the other pillow next to her for his head, and threw the blanket over on top of them. It wasn't the most comfortable…but it will do. He would go through anything to make her happy.

Orihime immediately curled into him and placed her head on his chest as Ulquiorra rested his chin on the top of her head. Her voice was soft as a whisper.

"I love you, Ulquiorra."

He looked down, and matched her voice in softness, yet as authoritative as ever.

"As I love and live for you, Onna."

**Meanwhile~**

Somewhere above them, little to their knowledge sat a porcelain silhouette of a beautiful figure with long red hair and a scar over her heart, body draped in black.

Looking down upon the couple, the angel smiled with self satisfaction and a deep sense of longing to become one with her other form. She would have to wait a little…but it would happen, so for now, that figure resigned to watch them from afar and protect them when she could.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up, and in a paradoxical mix of metaphorical pain and childish innocence, she reached a long pale arm toward a star and laughed.

Things were momentarily at a peaceful standstill between all celestial beings of hollow, humans, shinigami, and angels.

**Author's Note:**

> _Hello! Thank you for reading; this story has been posted on fanfiction a while back but since this is a newer one I have decided to post it up here as well [end ramble here]. This is a chapter story unlike the others that have been posted, so please enjoy it and let me know what you think! Thank you very much,_
> 
>  
> 
> _~floatingintears_


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